China Media Group (CMG) released the program list for the upcoming 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Tuesday afternoon.
Hosted by China Media Group, the annual televised fiesta features an eclectic mix of performances, including dance, opera, comedy, skits, martial arts, magic, and more. With performances staged at both Beijing's main venue and sub-venues in four cities across the country, the Gala promises a rich blend of traditional culture and modern flair.
The 2025 Spring Festival falls on Wednesday, ushering in the Year of the Snake. On the eve of the Chinese New Year, the gala will be broadcast worldwide from 20:00 Beijing Time (1200 GMT) via various CMG channels, as well as on several social media platforms.
As the first Spring Festival Gala after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the traditional 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 global audiences a cultural feast full of new ideas.
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.
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 annual Spring Festival Gala produced by CMG, also known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, has been seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations in China since its debut in 1983.
Recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's most watched TV program since its debut, the gala boasts billions of viewers every year.
CMG unveils program list of 2025 Spring Festival Gala
CMG unveils program list of 2025 Spring Festival Gala
CMG unveils program list of 2025 Spring Festival Gala
The series of erroneous words and actions by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi not only seriously deviate from the spirit of pacifist Constitution of the country but also further exacerbate regional tensions, said Tomoko Tamura, a member of the House of Representatives.
In an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Tamura criticized Takaichi for straining Japan-China relations by making erroneous remarks on Taiwan, calling on her to improve bilateral relations.
Tamura pointed out that the political consensus reached during the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries remains of great significance, and Japan should respect and abide by it as the basis for repairing and rebuilding friendly relations with China.
"The erroneous remarks by Sanae Takaichi this time have led to the deterioration of China-Japan relations. This is absolutely unacceptable and must be retracted. Regarding the relations between two sides, the consensus reached during the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1972 is of utmost importance. At that time, the Chinese government asserted that Taiwan is part of China and the Japanese government fully understood and respected this stance. Now we should reaffirm this consensus, as well as the crucial agreements reached by both countries after 1972. Japan should explicitly acknowledge these significant agreements to rebuild friendly relations with China," she said.
Tamura also pointed out that in recent years, Japan has attempted to reshape its security policy, boosting defense spending, easing arms-export restrictions, pursuing offensive weapons development, and clearly deviating from the fundamental principle of "exclusively defense-oriented" policy.
"Japan's possession of long-range missiles clearly exceeded the scope of 'exclusively defense-oriented' policies. Japan is accelerating its military expansion. From the perspective of the Japanese constitution, this is absolutely not allowed. We are deeply concerned about the current Takaichi administration's disregard for the Japanese constitution. We clearly demand that Japan should adhere to the position of resolving issues through diplomatic efforts," she said.
Japanese official criticizes Takaichi's erroneous remarks
