As the Chinese Year of the Snake approaches, show business nationwide is buzzing with energy, offering a wide array of performances of dramas, concerts, acrobatics, and variety shows that gather people to celebrate the festive season.
From January 21 to February 5, the Beijing People's Art Theater is re-staging its popular Beijing-style drama Family Portrait, which debuted in 2005. The six-act drama, a humorous yet bittersweet tale of family reunion, touches the hearts of audiences with its emotional storytelling and best wishes for the New Year.
The play follows the life story of Wang Mantang, a restorer of ancient architecture living in typical hutong or alleys in old Beijing city, and covers social changes of five decades, which have reshaped both the ancient architecture industry and the lives of the people involved.
"When we first staged this drama 20 years ago, I was in my 40s. As time has passed, my understanding of the drama may have deepened, especially its historical nuances and many other aspects," said Feng Yuanzheng, president of the Beijing People's Art Theater and a veteran actor in Family Portrait.
The 2025 China Acrobatic Gala, sponsored by the China Acrobats Association, has also become a centerpiece of the Spring Festival celebrations. It was just held in Zhoukou city of central Henan Province, featuring 15 top acrobatic troupes from across China, dazzling audiences with breathtaking stunts and comedic performances.
"This act requires tacit teamwork between the flyer's tension and the base actors' stability, as well as precise control of balance. Executing consecutive single, double, and triple twists in the midair demands the performers' total commitment to achieve that perfect leap," said Luo Wang, lead performer of Soaring Eagle on the Swinging Pole.
Bian Faji, vice chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and chairman of the China Acrobats Association, emphasized the rich cultural content in China's acrobatics.
"Many of our acrobatic programs are rich in content, connotation, culture, and storytelling, which definitely appeal to audiences nationwide, I believe," Bian said.
Back in the national capital, the Beijing Performing Arts Center gathered choir groups from across the country to perform various songs, including Song of the Volga Boatmen from Russia and the vocal version of The Blue Danube. The concert featured mixed, male, female, and children’s choirs, offering a diverse musical experience.
In another celebration of cultural heritage, the China National Traditional Orchestra presented the musical The Quest for the King of National Music at the China National Opera House.
Featuring traditional instruments such as guqin -- plucked seven-string ancient Chinese musical instrument, bamboo flutes, and guzheng -- a Chinese plucked zither with 21 to 26 string, the performance highlighted the instruments' rich histories, enhanced by multimedia effects and dynamic stage designs.
"During the Spring Festival, we present Spring Festival Overture to audiences, blending traditional with classical elements in an innovative expression in the modern time. National music can be both fashionable and international," said Zhao Cong, president of the China National Traditional Orchestra.
A popular poetic dance drama A Tapestry of a Legendary Land highlighting the unique charm of oriental aesthetics was staged at Qinghua University in Beijing.
The 120-minute drama tells the story of Wang Ximeng, a young painter of the Northern Song Dynasty (960 to 1127), and his immortal artwork A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains, through the perspective of a modern Palace Museum researcher.
Since its debut in 2021, the production has run over 650 shows globally, demonstrating the timeless beauty of traditional Chinese art.
Show business booms with Chinese New Year
