CMG unveils mascot for 2025 Spring Festival Gala

China

CMG unveils mascot for 2025 Spring Festival Gala

2024-12-02 16:35 Last Updated At：22:27

China Media Group (CMG) on Monday released the official mascot for its 2025 Spring Festival Gala, as the Year of the Snake in the Chinese lunar calendar is approaching.

Based on the image of a cartoon snake, the mascot is named "Si Shengsheng", and was designed to match the theme of the Spring Festival Gala -- "Year of the Snake, Keep Your Spirits Awake!"

The outline of the mascot's head and the shape of the patterns on its cheeks are derived from a silver "Ruyi", a traditional Chinese ornament representing blessings and auspiciousness, unearthed in Shaanxi Province from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Its head is decorated with a bat pattern and its tail is embellished with a long knot representing longevity in Chinese culture, making the entire mascot represent blessings and good luck.

The shape of the eyebrows and eyes of the vivid mascot is taken from the pattern of snake-shaped bronze cultural relics unearthed from the Sanxingdui Ruins, one of the world's greatest archaeological findings of the 20th century in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

This pattern is also widely seen on bronze and jade items in the Central Plains region, showing the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.

Some of the patterns on the mascot are carved with cloisonne craftsmanship, and the filigree inlay art was also used to sketch out a variety of flowers on the mascot, implying that the spring is back.

Green is the main color of the mascot, symbolizing spring and vitality, and a variety of traditional Chinese colors are also used in the design.

The Spring Festival Gala hosted by CMG has been an essential part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration since 1983. The gala includes songs, dance, comic sketches, operas and folk arts.

The annual spectacle, known as the most-watched television program in the world, is broadcast on the eve of the Chinese New Year, when families come together to ring in the new lunar year.

The 2025 Spring Festival Gala will be on the air on the lunar New Year's Eve, which falls on January 28, 2025.

Gaza death toll rises to 47,161 as UN agency calls for urgent rebuilding efforts

2025-01-23 06:13 Last Updated At：07:17

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip has risen to 47,161, with 111,166 others injured, Gaza-based health authorities reported in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

The statement highlighted the rising casualties in the Palestinian enclave, despite the first phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on Sunday.

In addition to the significant human toll, Israeli attacks have caused widespread destruction to Gaza's infrastructure.

The Palestinian Water Authority announced on Wednesday that Gaza's seawater desalination plant has been severely damaged, with over 90 percent of the production capacity destroyed.

The statement revealed that the Israeli military, at some point, used the plant as a military base during the conflict, leading to the destruction of most of its critical components. Estimates suggest that repairing the plant and restoring its operations could cost as much as 5 million U.S. dollars and may take up to a year to complete.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported on Tuesday that reconstruction efforts in Gaza are beyond the agency's capacity due to the scale of 15 months of damage.

The UN agency's statement highlighted that the priority for reconstruction is to restore vital services, including water supply, pipelines, and electricity. The destruction of essential infrastructure, such as water wells, power lines, and generators, has left many Gaza residents without clean water or reliable electricity.

The situation is further complicated by the presence of thousands of unexploded shells scattered across the region. Specialized teams are needed to locate missing persons trapped beneath the rubble, adding to the challenges for ongoing relief efforts.