A young boy who had fallen into rushing water and been swept under a bridge culvert was rescued by bystanders in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province on June 29.
Eyewitness footage captured the tense moments when a man in white, lying face down on the bridge deck, desperately grasped the boy's hand while the child's body was fully submerged in the culvert. Nearby residents immediately rushed to assist, with one person securing the rescuer's legs to prevent him from being pulled into the current too.
"There were other tourists lying on the ground, holding onto them. We were all terrified - the boy had completely disappeared from view. We can't enter the water from that location. The rescuers used all their strength, even suffering cuts on their hands and feet," said Ding Wanqing, a witness.
Through coordinated efforts, the crowd successfully pulled the child out of the raging water.
Bystanders rescue boy from river current in Anhui
China Media Group (CMG) on Wednesday aired a grand New Year gala to welcome the arrival of 2026 with celebrations focused on the richness of Chinese culture, and blending traditional arts with contemporary creativity in a nationwide showcase of unity and joy.
Titled "Sail into 2026," the gala was staged in Lyuliang City, north China's Shanxi Province, and featured over 60 meticulously crafted performances. From vibrant song and dance routines to performances of traditional Chinese instrumental music, opera and martial arts, the gala embraced a wide variety of artistic styles, reflecting the depth of cultural heritage and the spirit of contemporary innovation.
The show vividly captured regional transformations across China, from the innovative dynamism of the Yangtze River Delta in east China to the cultural vitality of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in the northern part of the country. It also presented the energetic harmony of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area city cluster in the south, as well as heartfelt New Year wishes from China's Taiwan region.
The gala also shone a spotlight on ordinary individuals who made a difference in 2025. It also featured fresh works from a new wave of public cultural creators. Through these stories and performances, the gala offered a panoramic celebration of people nationwide joyfully embracing the New Year, together painting a hopeful picture of peace, prosperity and unity.
The gala was broadcast live at 20:00 on December 31 across CMG platforms including CCTV-1, CCTV-3, major radio frequencies, and new media outlets such as CCTV News.
CMG presents culture-rich New Year Gala to ring in 2026
