Lhasa sub-venue displays ethnic culture with spellbinding performances

Lhasa City in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday presented a rich tapestry of performances with ethnic features, intangible cultural heritage, and folk traditions as it served as one of the host cities for the Spring Festival Gala.

Hosted by the China Media Group (CMG), the gala this year features four sub-venues in addition to the main stage in Beijing, namely Chongqing Municipality, Lhasa City in Xizang Autonomous Region, Wuhan City in Hubei Province, and Wuxi City in Jiangsu Province.

Lhasa is a 1,300-year-old ancient city situated on a snow-covered plateau, making it one of the highest cities in the world. The sub-venue's main stage, set up in front of the famous Potala Palace, offered a spectacular backdrop for the cultural showcase.

The performances in Lhasa seamlessly blended intangible cultural heritage with folk traditions, combining both traditional and modern elements. Leading the show was 88-year-old Tibetan soprano Tseten Dolma, who conducted a youth chorus alongside young soprano Baima Tsomo in a stirring rendition of the folk song "Serf, Arisen, Sing in Praise."

Other performances included the song "Eternal Blessings," led by actress Liu Tao and Tibetan singer Tsering Lhamo. Pop singer and dancer Liu Yu joined Tibetan artists in the lively performance of "Tashi Delek," which is a traditional Tibetan greeting.

To conclude the show on a high note, pop singers and dancers Hou Minghao, Wang Xingyue, and He Luoluo teamed up with Tibetan singer Zahi Bing Zo to perform "Dance On, Lhasa," bringing the evening to a rousing climax.

A standout moment of the evening was a performance of 'Lazi Duixie', a traditional type of tap dance from Xizang's Lazi County, which is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. The rhythmic dance left the audience spellbound, showcasing the region's rich cultural traditions.

The gala also paid tribute to those impacted by the deadly earthquake which struck Xizang's Dingri County last month, extending blessings and good wishes to residents who have been resettled in the affected areas.

The gala, also known as "Chunwan", was first broadcast back in 1983 and is seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional 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 Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Wednesday this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake.

Lhasa sub-venue displays ethnic culture with spellbinding performances

Lhasa sub-venue displays ethnic culture with spellbinding performances

Lhasa sub-venue displays ethnic culture with spellbinding performances

Lhasa sub-venue displays ethnic culture with spellbinding performances

U.S. stocks ended mixed on Friday as investors digested hotter-than-expected inflation data amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.56 percent to 47,916.57. The S and P 500 slipped 0.11 percent to 6,816.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.35 percent to 22,902.89.

Seven of the 11 primary S and P 500 sectors closed lower. Consumer staples and health care led the declines, falling 1.43 percent and 1.33 percent, respectively. Technology and materials were the top performers, advancing 0.76 percent and 0.64 percent.

The U.S. consumer price index (CPI) jumped 3.3 percent in March from a year earlier, representing nearly a full percentage point increase from February's annual pace, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The energy index surged 10.9 percent in March, propelled by a 21.2-percent jump in gasoline prices, which alone accounted for nearly three quarters of the monthly increase across all items.

The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy components to measure underlying inflation, increased more modestly, rising 0.2 percent for the month and 2.6 percent year over year.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai stated that the economy "remains on a solid trajectory," while acknowledging that food and gas prices have risen. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett described the current situation as "a temporary energy disruption," adding that the economic effects of the Iran conflict are "a temporary distraction that will very, very quickly go away."

However, Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, argued that even if a long-lasting deal to end the war is reached and the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, "it would take months for oil, gasoline, diesel and other commodity supplies to snap back to pre-war levels and thus for prices to settle back to pre-conflict levels."

Meanwhile, the University of Michigan's preliminary April consumer sentiment index fell sharply to a record low of 47.6, down from 53.3 in March and well below analysts' expectations of 52.0, reflecting growing public concern over the impact of the Iran war on household finances.

Shares of the "Magnificent Seven" technology giants were mostly lower on the day. Nvidia stood out as the strongest performer, rising 2.57 percent.

Investors are now turning their attention to the upcoming U.S.-Iran talks scheduled for this weekend.

U.S. stocks close mixed after shocking inflation data