China Media Group's 2026 Spring Festival Gala completed its fourth rehearsal on Sunday, and performers are more ready to present a show that will feature audience participation, immersive stage design, and festive symbolism.
Several performers shared their feelings for the gala that is taking a better shape to greet the Year of the Horse for viewers both at home and around the world.
"I especially love the horse-shaped ornament on my headpiece and the sparkling patterns on my trousers, as they are particularly eye-catching," said a child actor named Yang Yumo.
"I find that the Spring Festival Gala is very different this time. The stage design is entirely different from that of the last gala, with more sci-tech features and more immersive interactions with the audience," said Rayzha Alimjan, an actress.
"I think the programs this year will be something that both viewers watching them on TV and audience on site will really want to take part in. This is my ninth participation in the gala, and this year is my zodiac year. Since I was born in the Year of the Horse, I feel the festive vibe seeing all the mascot designs," said actress Liu Tao.
"This is actually my fifth time performing at the Spring Festival Gala. Every time I perform in the gala, I feel different. Every time I come here, I feel especially excited. And I really hope everyone, all the audience friends, could join me in ending the work of the past year and start a new chapter," said another actress, Qin Hailu.
The gala, set to be aired on the Chinese New Year's Eve on February 16 this year, will combine traditional Chinese culture with modern stagecraft, as well as cross-cultural performances presented by international artists.
Commonly known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, the gala has been broadcast live on each Chinese New Year's Eve since 1983, and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.
Performers on 2026 Spring Festival Gala
More of China's A-share listed companies have disclosed major contract wins and full order books at the beginning of 2026, underscoring a solid start in the year and sending positive signals of a steady recovery and strong endogenous momentum in the country's economy.
Since the start of the year, more than 100 listed companies have announced major bid wins or contract signings, according to financial data company Wind data.
The newly secured orders span a wide range of sectors, from large-scale domestic infrastructure projects to international market cooperation, featuring sizable volumes and a diversified structure.
These developments have laid a sound foundation for corporate operations throughout the year while reinforcing confidence in China's economic recovery.
"Contracts worth over one billion yuan (around 144 million U.S. dollars) have been concentrated mainly in the infrastructure sector. Since the beginning of this year, listed companies have secured major project orders totaling more than 43 billion yuan (around 6.2 billion U.S. dollars). The launch of these projects has brought direct business support for enterprises while boosting market confidence in economic recovery, further vitalizing the industrial chain," said Tian Lihui, dean of the Institute of Finance and Development at Nankai University.
Infrastructure investment is also increasingly integrated with national strategies such as new energy and smart cities, with traditional infrastructure showing a clear trend toward intelligent and green upgrading.
In the ecological and environmental protection sector, several new projects worth hundreds of millions of yuan have been initiated, covering sanitation services, water conservation and waste treatment, highlighting green infrastructure as a new growth driver.
And a number of listed companies reported that overseas orders have significantly supported earnings growth.
With improving business performance, companies are becoming more proactive in disclosing order information, particularly during earnings forecast periods, to convey positive signals to the market.
Wind data show that more than 750 listed companies voluntarily disclosed order developments in 2025, accounting for 13.75 percent of the total.
Nearly 60 percent of companies with full orders are expected to see year-on-year net profit growth or significantly narrowed losses in 2025, with growth momentum likely to sustain into 2026.
Among them, 16 companies are projected to maintain net profit growth of over 10 percent from 2025 to 2027.
"The trend significantly reflects the longer-term vision of corporate performance, with the market now able to assess prospects over one or even two years rather than just a single quarter as before," said Zhang Yusheng, chief strategy analyst at Everbright Securities.
Industry observers believe that, amid sustained improvement in performance, the proactive disclosure of orders by listed companies helps stabilize market expectations, boost investor confidence and highlight growth potential, guiding capital toward high-quality enterprises.
A-share firms report strong order intake
