The China Media Group (CMG) held a press conference in Beijing on Sunday to introduce the highlights of its much-anticipated 2025 Spring Festival Gala and the technological innovations used to create the grand show. As the first Spring Festival Gala after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the Spring Festival on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December last year, this year's show will feature more elements of intangible cultural heritage to present a cultural feast full of new ideas to global audiences.
In addition to professional performers, the producers have also invited ordinary people from all walks of life to take the stage this year.
In terms of technological innovation, this year's gala will further deepen the integrated broadcast via big and small screens, advance the application of 8K ultra-high-definition technology, and use cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, extended reality, digital twins and virtual production to create a virtual stage that can be expanded at will, according to the press conference.
Efforts will also be made to improve the presentation of shows on devices with portrait screens.
For the first time in the history of the Spring Festival Gala, visually impaired and hearing-impaired versions will be broadcast for those in need.
The Spring Festival, which falls on Jan 29 this year, marks the start of the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year and is the country's grandest traditional festival.
The annual Spring Festival Gala produced by 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 broadcast live on Jan 28, the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year.
CMG briefs press on highlights of 2025 Spring Festival Gala
CMG briefs press on highlights of 2025 Spring Festival Gala
CMG briefs press on highlights of 2025 Spring Festival Gala
Members of the ice hockey team from China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) visited Harbin's renowned Ice and Snow World ahead of the 2025 Asian Winter Games to experience the thrill of the northern winter wonderland and prepare for their historic debut at the Games.
Scheduled to run from Friday to Feb 14 this year, the 9th Asian Winter Games will be held in Harbin for the second time, which hosted the event in 1996.
Before the Games officially starts, three ice hockey players from Team Macao ventured into the winter paradise, a stark contrast to their hometown's subtropical climate.
The highlight of their visit was a ride on the 521-meter-long ice slide, a signature attraction at Harbin Ice and Snow World.
"Before I went on the slide, I thought it can't be better than ice hockey. But when I went on the slide, the speed kind of shocked me," said Hu Zhaoting Tse, a player from Team Macao.
Team Macao, composed of office workers, teenagers, and even firefighters, trains weekly across the Greater Bay Area. The completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has significantly enhanced their training, giving them access to facilities that they don’t have at home.
Lei Pak In, another hockey player, praised the high-tech facilities at the Games' venues.
"I feel like the facilities at the Winter Games were really nice. Really high tech. The ice was really smooth. Like for us in Macao, we haven't had a real working rink in almost three years," he said.
The team also explored Harbin's immersive virtual reality (VR) activities, which offered unique haptic feedback, a novelty compared to traditional VR setups.
"I feel like the haptics were really unique for this one, because usually in VR, it's all just eyes, but here there are even heaters," said Lei.
Reflecting on a recent match against Hong Kong, a strong regional rival, the players said that over the past decade teams from Hong Kong and Macao were evenly matched, but now both are motivated to outperform each other in the coming years.
As they set their sights on winning at the upcoming Asian Winter Games, the young players are also eager to learn from their Asian counterparts. Despite the challenges of limited local infrastructure, their passion for ice hockey remains undeterred, and they are determined to continue chasing their dreams.
Members of Macao ice hockey team visit Harbin's Ice and Snow World