A music performance featuring an iconic ancient Chinese instrument, Bianzhong, will hit the stage of the Spring Festival Gala from the show's sub-venue in Wuhan, Hubei Province.
Bianzhong, or chime bells, is an instrument with over 3,000 years of history and one of the earliest instruments found throughout Chinese history.
This year's Spring Festival Gala will feature an instrumental performance linking its four sub-venues. For its part, Hubei, where the earliest Bianzhong were discovered, is putting the ancient instrument on the center stage, with performance rehearsals in full swing.
Production is underway, led by a mysterious musician whose identity remains a secret until the big night.
On set, over 30 sets of Bianzhong were used, each set contains 58 single bell.
"There are main bells, or 'Yong' bell, and 'Niu' bell. The person playing the large bells stands in the front, while those playing the Niu Bell are positioned behind,"said Jiang Jun, member of the Hubei Provincial Opera and Dance Drama Theater.
Striking each bell may seem simple, but achieving harmonious sound is no way an easy task.
The sub-venues of the Spring Festival Gala have always been a celebration of local culture and history.
Leading the charge is director Zhang Min. Last year, she also helmed the Xi'an sub-venue, captivating audiences with a stunning display of rich cultural history.
"Both cities are rich in cultural heritage, but Wuhan's distinct characteristics can be found in its concept of 'metropolis of grand rivers and lakes'. This gives it a unique grandeur and sets it apart from the Xi'an sub-venue in terms of presentation style. We aim to deliver a powerful, emotional, and story-driven narrative," Zhang said.
The annual Spring Festival Gala produced by China Media Group (CMG), also known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, has been seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional Lunar New Year celebrations in China since its debut in 1983. This year's event will be aired on Jan 28, the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year.
Wuhan, along with Wuxi, Chongqing and Lhasa were selected as this year's sub-venues to complement the main venue in Beijing.
Ancient Bianzhong sound from Hubei to ring on Spring Festival Gala stage
Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of London on Saturday, marching from Westminster to the U.S. embassy to deliver a clear message to the United States and Israel -- stop the war in Iran.
Chanting slogans and carrying banners reading "Stop bombing Iran" and "No war on Iran", demonstrators condemned what they described as unlawful military aggression that they say threatens regional stability and civilian lives.
"What Trump is doing from his base in America -- trying to rule the world. And I think it's disgusting and it's dangerous. It's killing. It's going to kill tens of thousands of people across the Middle East, and it'll have huge ramifications across the world," said a protester in an interview with China Global Television Network.
"I think that Trump and Netanyahu's obvious attempts to push regime change are unacceptable. And it's ultimately the Iranian people and people across the Middle East, normal people, who are going to suffer the most in this war," said another.
The United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, which resulted in the deaths of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, several of his family members and multiple senior Iranian military commanders.
Iran said on Friday evening that since the fighting began, at least 1,332 civilians have been killed, with thousands of others injured.
"A completely immoral, groundless act of aggression, another war crime against Iran," said a third protester.
"They are going in, they're bombing people indiscriminately. Over 160 school children have been killed for no good reason," another protester said, referring to the U.S.-Israeli airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in Minab, southern Iran.
Initially, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the United States couldn't use any British bases for military actions in the Middle East. But he later rolled back on his words, saying that the U.S. can use certain bases as long as it is for defensive actions only.
The protesters don't think he has gone far enough. They said that this is an illegal action and should be stopped immediately.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a live broadcast statement on Saturday that Israel's attack on Iran will continue with "full force and uncompromising momentum."
Israel has a well-prepared plan with many surprises to undermine "Iranian regime" and "enable change," Netanyahu said.
Thousands march in London to demand halt to US-Israeli strikes on Iran
