China Media Group (CMG) held the first dress rehearsal for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Sunday, honing the much-anticipated TV carnival amid prevailing festive mood for the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year.
The gala will feature a rich variety of artistic forms backed by application of technologies.
On December 4, 2024, the UNESCO inscribed Spring Festival -- the social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year -- on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, marking a global recognition of this vibrant celebration and cherished cultural tradition.
As the first Spring Festival Gala after the inscription, the production team creatively incorporated traditional customs and intangible cultural heritage practices into the show. The integration of various heritage elements into the stage design, program structure, and visual presentation highlight the time-honored appeal of China's rich cultural legacy.
CMG earlier unveiled the four sub-venue locations for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala. They are Chongqing Municipality in the southwest, Hubei Province's Wuhan in central China, Lhasa of the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region also in the southwest, and Jiangsu Province's Wuxi in the east.
The gala, also known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, has been broadcast live annually since 1983, and has been seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional Lunar New Year celebrations in China. This year's event will be aired on Jan 28, the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year.
CMG holds first rehearsal for 2025 Spring Festival Gala
CMG holds first rehearsal for 2025 Spring Festival Gala
U.S. President Donald Trump posted "Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time!" on social media on Sunday, a message that appeared to signal a possible extension of the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
On March 21, Trump threatened to hit and obliterate Iranian power plants if the country fails to fully open the strait within 48 hours. Two days later, he postponed strikes on power plants for five days, claiming to have held productive conversations with Iran.
On March 26, Trump again pushed the deadline back, saying that he will pause planned strikes on Iranian energy facilities for 10 days, to April 6, the upcoming Monday at 20:00 Eastern Time. On Saturday, Trump reaffirmed that Iran has 48 hours to strike a deal on opening up the strait or face "Hell."
However, in the post on Sunday, Trump appeared to hint at extending the deadline for Iran to reopen the strait for another time.
In a post earlier Sunday, the U.S. president threatened that Tuesday would be "Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one" for Iran, and again urged Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the threats, Trump said on Sunday that he believes a deal can be reached before the deadline, adding that Iran is currently negotiating. If Iran refuses, he said he is considering bombing everything and seizing Iran's oil.
Ali Abdollahi, chief commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, responded Saturday that the Iranian armed forces would not hesitate for a moment to defend the country's rights and protect national assets and will put the aggressors in their place.
Trump also claimed that earlier this year, the U.S. sent weapons to Iranian protesters through the Kurds, though he believes the Kurds took them.
He also said he was very satisfied with a recent operation to rescue the pilot of a U.S. fighter jet that was shot down in Iranian airspace. He said Israel had assisted with the rescue, describing the bilateral relationship as big brother and little brother.
Trump hints at extending deadline for Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Trump hints at extending deadline for Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz
