Cultural event for promoting CMG 2026 Spring Festival Gala held in U.S. port city

A cultural event for promoting the 2026 Spring Festival Gala to be presented by China Media Group (CMG) was held on Tuesday at the Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington State, gathering both Chinese and U.S. representatives in cultural exchange amid a festive atmosphere.

"Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala - The World Watches the CMG Gala Together" was jointly held by the CMG, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Chinese Table Tennis Association, and the U.S.-China Youth and Student Exchange Association.

The event brought together nearly 500 representatives from both China and the U.S.

A choir made up of students from the Lincoln High School presented both Chinese and English songs and sent Spring Festival greetings to the Chinese people.

Similar overseas events are set to be held in multiple other countries, including France, New Zealand, Russia, Brazil and Egypt.

The CMG has held the "Prelude to the Spring Festival Gala" event for three years in a row.

The Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, has been a major cultural symbol for the Chinese New Year celebrations in China since its debut in 1983. On every Chinese New Year's Eve, families and friends across the country gather to enjoy a mixed show of songs, dances, comic sketches, operas, and folk arts, among other performances.

The gala is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's most-watched TV program.

Cultural event for promoting CMG 2026 Spring Festival Gala held in U.S. port city

Cultural event for promoting CMG 2026 Spring Festival Gala held in U.S. port city

Cultural event for promoting CMG 2026 Spring Festival Gala held in U.S. port city

Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on Monday.

As solemn music played and the golden doors slowly opened, Xi and Vucic entered the hall together, followed by Xi's wife Peng Liyuan and Vucic's wife Tamara Vucic.

Applauding guests rose to their feet, and paid respect to the two heads of state.

A Guard of Honor escorted the Friendship Medal into the hall, and amid solemn music, Xi formally presented the medal to Vucic.

Xi highlighted Vucic's long-standing commitment to advancing China-Serbia friendship and underscored the significance of the honor.

"President Vucic has long stayed committed to China-Serbia friendship, and he has always given China the firmest and clearest support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns. He gains the respect from the Chinese people. This medal is not only a high recognition of President Vucic's contributions to bilateral friendship, but also carries the earnest expectations of both peoples for building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era," Xi said.

The Friendship Medal is China's highest state honor for foreigners, reserved for those who have made outstanding contributions to China's modernization drive, promoting exchange and cooperation between China and the world, and safeguarding world peace.

At the invitation of Xi, Vucic is on a state visit to China from Sunday to Thursday, with this marking his first state visit to China and his ninth trip to the country overall.

Xi awards Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic China's friendship medal