Humanoid robots showcase folk dance skills on Spring Festival Gala stage

A team of robot dancers took to the stage alongside their human counterparts for a fun performance featuring the Chinese folk dance Yangge during the 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Tuesday evening.

The grand television show has integrated traditional culture with innovative means to entertain audiences on the eve of the Chinese New Year, with the robot dance being among the many memorable on-stage performances during the hours-long variety show which is being broadcast live on Tuesday.

Advanced humanoid droids adorned with bright flashy colors strutted their stuff as they danced in synchronized steps to the Chinese folk dance of Yangge, which is popular in both rural and urban areas of northern China.

The robots also impressively performed the "handkerchief spin" - a signature move in Yangge which typically requires great skill and practice.

The annual gala, also known as "Chunwan", was first broadcast in 1983 and is seen as a major cultural symbol for Spring Festival celebrations in China.

Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's most-watched annual TV program, the hours-long television extravaganza attracts over a billion views every year.

The 2025 Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Wednesday this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake.

Humanoid robots showcase folk dance skills on Spring Festival Gala stage

Humanoid robots showcase folk dance skills on Spring Festival Gala stage

Humanoid robots showcase folk dance skills on Spring Festival Gala stage

Humanoid robots showcase folk dance skills on Spring Festival Gala stage

More than a month ahead of the Chinese New Year, restaurants across China have reported a booming demand for reunion dinners, with popular places already fully reserved.

The family reunion dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important meal of the year for Chinese people. It has long been an essential part of celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year, the festival falls on Feb 17.

In Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province, one restaurant said all tables for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner have been reserved.

"We now have 36 private rooms and 13 tables in the hall. The New Year's Eve dinner is fully booked. Many families started reserving as early as November 2025," said Han Huiyan, a restaurant manager.

To meet the demand, many restaurants start to offer takeaway banquet package that can be easily prepared at home, allowing families to enjoy a variety of festive dishes without dining out.

In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, many popular restaurants said that they are approaching full reservation levels. To reduce peak demand, some restaurants now offer off-peak reunion dinners starting later at night.

"We now offer a 'second round' of New Year's Eve dinners, which start at 19:30. We also offer discount for such New Year's Eve dinners, a promotion of 20 percent off set menus," said Sun Lijuan, a restaurant manager.

In Lianyungang, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province, smaller private rooms of a local restaurant have been nearly sold out, and customized menus and home-delivery services have drawn strong interest.

"This year we have specially launched the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner delivery service. Bookings are very strong and customers really like this option," said Geng Maoran, a restaurant general manager.

Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners