China Media Group's 2026 Spring Festival Gala promo recently lit up a giant screen in downtown Skopje, marking the gala's first-ever appearance in North Macedonia and drawing crowds of curious locals and overseas Chinese.
The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional holiday for Chinese people, and the gala's live broadcast on the eve of the festival has become a cherished part of the celebrations in hundreds of millions of homes.
On February 6, the promo captivated audiences in Skopje's city center, where its vibrant colors and festive music captured the spirit of the holiday and drew passersby to stop and watch.
"The promotion and the gala seems like a really interesting event, which I would love to attend one day, hopefully in the future, which I believe showcases the most beautiful parts of Chinese culture," said a local student named Blindit Aranishi.
At the Chinese Embassy's Spring Festival reception in North Macedonia that same day, guests were treated to a screening of the gala's promotional video along with highlights from the "Travel China Through Film" series.
"The promotion and the gala seems like a really interesting event, which I would love to attend one day, hopefully in the future, which I believe showcases the most beautiful parts of Chinese culture," said Jiang Xiaoyan, Chinese ambassador to North Macedonia.
"It's really breathtaking. The talents that we see from Chinese actors and singers and painters are remarkable. So of course, it will bring lots of joy to people watching the gala and also I am very happy that this joy was shared with the people of North Macedonia," said Rita Columbia, United Nations Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia.
The Spring Festival falls on Feb 17 this year, marking the start of the Chinese New Year. This year ushers in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle.
2026 Spring Festival Gala promo debuts in North Macedonia
Hong Kong's first astronaut lifted off into space on Sunday, sparking a wave of enthusiasm for space exploration in the special administrative region, while inspiring a new generation to look to the stars.
The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The crew members include Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut and payload specialist from Hong Kong to join a national space mission, whose achievements have motivated many Hong Kong residents.
"I feel so happy and thrilled. This is the first time a Hong Kong astronaut has gone to space, and to see a true Hong Konger, who is also a mother of three, just really touches my heart," said Chow, a local resident.
The successful spaceflight of Lai has especially captivated the younger generation to dream bigger about the future.
"I want to be an astronaut, because I want to discover more things about space," said a young student surnamed Chow.
"I have seen things related to spaceflights of astronauts. I hope when I grow up, I could receive training and go to space myself," said another student surnamed Koo.
To meet public expectations, the Hong Kong Space Museum has updated its space-themed exhibition with the latest development of the Shenzhou-23 mission, extending the display until July 6. Parents are seizing the moment to enrich their children's knowledge.
"At his age, I want him to be exposed to a wide range of information. With all the recent astronaut news, I brought him here specially to see for himself. We will also check out a film about space knowledge at the planetarium. I hope he can get more out of this from an early age," said Cheung, a father.
"We just watched the Shenzhou-23 launch at home with my son last night, and decided to take him to the Space Museum," a mother surnamed Chun shared.
"I saw on TV that so many people were cheering for the launch. When the rocket was launched, fire burst out from its body. I was really happy they succeeded," said Chun's son.
Hong Kong's first astronaut ignites citywide enthusiasm over space exploration
