Global audiences celebrate Chinese New Year with Spring Festival Gala

The Spring Festival Gala has become an indispensable part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, as the fantastic program reached audiences far beyond the Chinese mainland, from bustling Hong Kong to snowy Stockholm.

Produced by China Media Group (CMG) and aired on Tuesday, this year's gala has also been well received by audiences around the globe.

In the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, watching the Spring Festival Gala has become a must for many local families in addition to eating New Year's Eve dinner.

"The Spring Festival Gala seems to be an indispensable dish of the New Year's Eve dinner. It brings a sense of ceremony for the New Year's Eve dinner and makes the New Year's Eve more complete," said a local resident.

"The Spring Festival Gala is getting better and better each year. There are many new faces that young people like us are familiar with, and popular stars. And the singing and dancing performances are also much more innovative. The stage design is even more impressive. In a word, the Spring Festival Gala is really getting more and more exciting," said another local resident.

Across continents in Swedish capital of Stockholm, members with the Chinese proficiency competition "Chinese Bridge" Club in Stockholm and the Beijing natives association gathered together to watch the live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala and to embrace the festive spirit. Dressed in traditional Chinese costumes, the club members also took part in writing the Chinese character of "fu" which symbolizes good fortune.

"I think it's quite meaningful to watch CMG's Spring Festival Gala here in Stockholm. The Chinese New Year is a festival for everyone. We gather to eat dumplings, celebrate together, and watch the gala. It brings the atmosphere of spring to the Swedish winter," said a member with the club.

"In Sweden, we love chorus singing, so the chorus performances in the gala are probably my favorite. But all of the performances are amazing. And I think this year's gala is even better than before," said another member with the club.

The Spring Festival Gala is broadcast annually on the eve of the Chinese New Year on CMG's flagship CCTV-1 and internationally through the China Global Television Network (CGTN). The gala has the largest audience of any entertainment shows in the world and is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's most watched television program.

The 2025 version of the very gala is the first one since the Spring Festival was officially recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an intangible cultural heritage last month.

Global audiences celebrate Chinese New Year with Spring Festival Gala

The Lingzhi‑09 Thai CubeSat, launched Tuesday aboard China's Long March‑6C rocket, marked the first time a Chinese commercial space firm has provided Southeast Asia with a complete satellite package, covering development, launch and in‑orbit delivery.

The rocket lifted off at 11:21 (Beijing Time) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province, placing seven satellites into the planned orbit to cover key areas including remote sensing, technology validation and science education.

The delivery covers satellite development, launch and in-orbit delivery, according to GalaxySpace, a Beijing-based commercial space firm.

The Lingzhi-09 Thai CubeSat, on the one hand, collects remote sensing data for land, agriculture, and ecology; while on the other hand, supports Thai universities through hands-on practice in satellite research and development, space tracking, and remote sensing applications.

"Lingzhi-09 Thai CubeSat is the first overseas satellite that GalaxySpace is responsible for. GalaxySpace not only offers satellite delivery, but also provides comprehensive solutions on ground system and talent training. This cooperation has testified the GalaxySpace's full-chain overseas delivery service, demonstrating a complete export of GalaxySpace system's engineering expertise," said Zhang Peng, general manager of GalaxySpace's solution department.

Different from selling a satellite, GalaxySpace helps Thai customers understanding satellites better by offering delivery, operation and training services.

"We believe that the international cooperation plays a vital role in advancing space technology and innovation. We value partnership with organizations and experts around the world. As such, collaboration brings unique knowledge, experience and perspective that contribute to the growth of our national space capability," said Phee Choosri, deputy executive director of Thai Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency's space technology department.

Chinese space firm launches first full-service satellite package to Southeast Asia