The promotional video for China Media Group's (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala was shown this week on Germany's public transport networks and at a major overseas Chinese gala in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, highlighting the diversity of Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchanges.
In Germany, the promotional video was shown for the first time on about 500 screens across subways, buses and trams in cities such as Berlin, Stuttgart and Munich during peak travel hours on Friday.
Local residents said they were deeply impressed with the video.
"I experienced the Chinese New Year in China and watched the CMG Spring Festival Gala on television. The technology behind it, the stage design and the art was very impressive. I'm really looking forward to watching the Spring Festival Gala again this year," said Anna List, an university student.
"I watched the promotional video of the Spring Festival Gala on the subway. The colors are very bright, and the visual impact is very strong. Displaying the show in Berlin is vital to enhance connection with China. It allows people to better understand Chinese culture, which has a history of thousands of years," said Kurt Kallensee, a resident.
The video was also screened with 270-degree surround sound at Dubai's La Perle theater on Thursday evening during the 12th UAE Overseas Chinese New Year Gala, which brought together about 3,000 overseas Chinese.
It drew enthusiastic reactions from the audience and heightened their anticipation for the upcoming gala.
The evening performance combined traditional art with modern technology, as artists from China and other countries jointly presented a multimedia showcase of cultural diversity.
"It was amazing. The performances were really good and I loved how cultural it was, like it covered everything. I was very, very pleased to see the musical instruments and the bamboo dance. That was my favorite," said an audience member.
CMG Spring Festival Gala promo debut on German public transport, Dubai gala
The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked since Saturday evening and will not reopen until the United States lifts its naval blockade on the waterway.
In a statement carried by its official news outlet Sepah News, the IGRC said that the move came after the United States violated its commitments under the two-week ceasefire, which took effect on April 8, and failed to end its naval blockade against Iranian vessels and ports.
The IRGC Navy called on all vessels and their owners to follow official updates via its channel and VHF Channel 16, the international maritime distress, safety, and calling frequency. The statements by U.S. President Donald Trump hold no credibility in the strait and the Gulf, it added.
The IRGC warned that no vessel should move from its anchorage in the Gulf or the Gulf of Oman, and any approach to the strait would be deemed "cooperation with the enemy" and targeted accordingly.
Tehran's political leadership echoed the IRGC's firm position. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is under Iran's control, revealing that during previous negotiations, Iran had firmly countered U.S. attempts to carry out minesweeping operations, which Tehran viewed as a ceasefire violation.
He said the situation had come close to conflict, but the U.S. had eventually backed off.
Calling the U.S. maritime blockade "reckless and ignorant," Ghalibaf warned that passage through the strait would certainly be restricted if Washington does not lift the blockade.
Underpinning these public announcements, Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Saturday affirmed the country's resolve to exercise control and supervision over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the war is definitively ended and lasting peace is achieved in the region.
For its part, the United States pressed ahead with its own military measures.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday that the U.S. military is imposing a maritime blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and nearby coastal areas. Since the blockade began on April 13, 23 ships have complied with U.S. directions to turn around.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is preparing in the coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing U.S. officials.
The move will enable the U.S. to take control of Iran-linked vessels around the world, including ships carrying Iranian oil that are already sailing outside the Persian Gulf and those carrying arms that could support Tehran, the report said.
Iran's IRGC says Strait of Hormuz blocked, demands end to US naval blockade
