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 Zambian government has declared the current fuel supply situation an emergency amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

On March 31, Zambian Minister of Information and Media Cornelius Mweetwa said in a statement that the cabinet had approved zero-rating of value-added tax and the suspension of excise duty on petrol and diesel imports for a period of three months.

Mweetwa, also the government spokesperson, noted that the government is concerned about the continued conflict in the Middle East, which have disrupted global oil supply chains, resulting in rising international fuel prices and upward pressure on domestic pump prices.

Also on March 31, Zambia's energy regulator announced an upward adjustment in fuel pump prices. Under the new pricing structure, petrol has increased by 2.03 percent, while diesel has risen by 28.09 percent.

Zambian residents have already been feeling the impact. Their ability to travel is curtailed and they are forced to wait in long lines for refueling.

"You have to spend some time on looking for fuel. The war should come to an end, and then fuel supply will flow," said Fredrick Nabuzoka, a local resident.

"My business is down. I cannot move regularly like I used to because of the fuel problem," said Fridah Mbiza, another resident.

Analysts warned that the fuel shortage extends beyond the country, which raises fear and worsens an already precarious energy insecurity.

"The energy insecurity is huge. It's not just for Zambia, it's about 75 percent of other African countries. And for Zambia, the price definitely is also going to swing up, just like other countries. And also, there is another fear, apart from just the price going up. The other fear is the availability factor," said Johnstone Chikwanda, a Zambian energy expert.

The ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and Tehran's retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region have triggered a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas globally because of the reduction of sea traffic through the key oil shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the sea route has sent global oil prices soaring.

Zambia declares fuel supply emergency amid Middle East tensions