The eastern Chinese city of Wuxi in Jiangsu Province showcased a series of performances which blended traditional and modern elements and demonstrated the city's unique charm as it served as one of the host cities for the Spring Festival Gala on Tuesday.
Hosted by the China Media Group (CMG), the gala this year featured four sub-venues across the country in addition to the main stage in Beijing, namely in Chongqing Municipality, Wuhan City in Hubei Province, Lhasa City in Xizang Autonomous Region, and Wuxi.
Known as an ancient water town that evolved into a modern city, the tale of Wuxi's transformation was told during the gala as small boats glided through peaceful waterways under festive lights, before performers in costumes of different eras told stories of the city's historic past, its pioneering role in leading China's industrialization in the modern era, and its continuing push to become a city of the future.
With regional folk tunes, traditional opera acts, dances and elements of the city's intangible cultural heritage on display, the city presented a vivid picture of its historic roots intertwined with modern culture.
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.
Wuxi sub-venue brings water town charm to Spring Festival Gala
Hong Kong's first astronaut lifted off into space on Sunday, sparking a wave of enthusiasm for space exploration in the special administrative region, while inspiring a new generation to look to the stars.
The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The crew members include Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut and payload specialist from Hong Kong to join a national space mission, whose achievements have motivated many Hong Kong residents.
"I feel so happy and thrilled. This is the first time a Hong Kong astronaut has gone to space, and to see a true Hong Konger, who is also a mother of three, just really touches my heart," said Chow, a local resident.
The successful spaceflight of Lai has especially captivated the younger generation to dream bigger about the future.
"I want to be an astronaut, because I want to discover more things about space," said a young student surnamed Chow.
"I have seen things related to spaceflights of astronauts. I hope when I grow up, I could receive training and go to space myself," said another student surnamed Koo.
To meet public expectations, the Hong Kong Space Museum has updated its space-themed exhibition with the latest development of the Shenzhou-23 mission, extending the display until July 6. Parents are seizing the moment to enrich their children's knowledge.
"At his age, I want him to be exposed to a wide range of information. With all the recent astronaut news, I brought him here specially to see for himself. We will also check out a film about space knowledge at the planetarium. I hope he can get more out of this from an early age," said Cheung, a father.
"We just watched the Shenzhou-23 launch at home with my son last night, and decided to take him to the Space Museum," a mother surnamed Chun shared.
"I saw on TV that so many people were cheering for the launch. When the rocket was launched, fire burst out from its body. I was really happy they succeeded," said Chun's son.
Hong Kong's first astronaut ignites citywide enthusiasm over space exploration
