A series of special reception events have been held in various embassies around the world to mark the upcoming Spring Festival, China's biggest annual celebration, while a promotional video showcasing the upcoming 2025 Spring Festival Gala produced by the China Media Group (CMG) was also screened at the gatherings.
The Spring Festival centers around the Chinese New Year, which this year lands on Jan 29, ushering in the Year of the Snake. The festival is now recognized across the globe, with nearly one-fifth of the world's population celebrating it in various ways, while its recent inscription on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity has further emphasized its worldwide appeal.
On Thursday evening, the Chinese Embassy in Jordan held a reception to mark the upcoming festival, gathering over 300 attendees including diplomats, overseas Chinese, representatives from Chinese companies, and teachers from the local Confucius Institute.
The reception showcased a variety of cultural performances presented by overseas Chinese in Jordan that heightened the celebratory atmosphere.
Gong Anmin, the Charge d'Affaires at the embassy, delivered New Year greetings to the Chinese community in Jordan, encouraging unity and cooperation to strengthen the bonds of friendship between China and Jordan.
At the event, the promotional video for this year's CMG Spring Festival Gala was also played, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia and among the local Chinese.
First broadcast back in 1983, the hours-long television extravaganza is seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional Spring Festival celebrations in China. Aired on the eve of the Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival Gala has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's most-watched annual TV program.
A similar Spring Festival-themed reception event was also held in the Chinese Embassy in Bahrain earlier this month, attended by over 300 participants.
The Chinese Ambassador to Bahrain Ni Ruchi highlighted the deepening political trust and fruitful economic cooperation between China and Bahrain, noting that the two leaders announced a comprehensive strategic partnership last May, marking a historic high in their bilateral relations.
The Bahrain event featured an array of performances, including children's choirs singing a series of Chinese classics and musical performances of traditional instrumental pieces including the guzheng, a Chinese string instrument, which were well received by the audience.
Meanwhile, the 44th General Assembly of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) was held in Hammamet, Tunisia from Wednesday to Thursday.
As a member of the ASBU, the CMG was also invited and participated in discussions on media transformations in the digital age, showcasing its strategic initiatives involving fifth-generation telecommunication (5G), 8K Ultra HD and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
The media conference also saw the official mascot of the upcoming CMG gala, the shake-themed "Si Shengsheng", featuring along with the main logo, posters, and a promotional video of the gala, attracting widespread attention.
Representatives from numerous global media outlets at the event sought to extend their wishes to the Chinese people ahead of the Spring Festival and hope ties with their respective countries will grow stronger.
"It is my great honor to greet the great Chinese people. We wish China further development, prosperity and stability. The Spring Festival is an ancient Chinese festival reflecting China's history and present situation. We have always been proud to cooperate with China in various fields and at all levels, especially in the media field," said Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, Assistant Secretary General and Head of the Media and Communication Sector at the Arab League of the Arab League.
"Saudi-China relations have been developing rapidly in recent years, with frequent high-level interactions in many fields, especially in the field of media. I sincerely wish Chinese friends, China and the Chinese people a happy Spring Festival, making new progress and realizing prosperity," said a manager from the editorial department of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority.
As the first CMG Spring Festival Gala since the festival's inscription on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, this year's gala integrates more elements of intangible cultural heritage to create a cultural feast full of new ideas for the global audience.
This year's gala will be provided to international audiences, with the English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian-language channels of the CMG's China Global Television Network (CGTN), along with 82 foreign language communication platforms, cooperating with more than 2,600 overseas mainstream media outlets in 200 countries and regions around the world to broadcast and report on the television showpiece.
Reception events held in various embassies to celebrate upcoming Spring Festival
