An advanced humanoid robot put in a cheerful backstage appearance as rehearsals ramp up for the China Media Group (CMG)'s 2026 Spring Festival Gala, bringing some light relief to performers who are busy refining their preparations for the upcoming entertainment extravaganza.
The much-anticipated gala is set to air on the Chinese New Year's Eve on Feb 16, combining traditional Chinese cultural elements with modern stagecraft and high-tech visuals. Featuring a variety of colorful acts and star-studded guest appearances, the hours-long show will run past midnight, ringing in the Year of the Horse.
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 the Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.
The CMG, the country's flagship broadcaster, conducted the fourth full rehearsal for this year's gala on Feb 8.
And as the final touches were being made, a special little robot friend showed up behind the scenes and gatecrashed some of the activities.
Named Bumi, the highly-flexible humanoid robot stands 94 cm tall and weighs around 12 kg, and features more than 21 degrees of freedom, allowing it to perform complex physical movements.
Amid warm and amusing scenes, the little robot was seen walking around the CMG's gala venue and happily interacting with actors, singers and other guest performers, while delivering New Year's greetings.
Bumi was launched by Chinese tech firm Noetix Robotics last October and is the world's first high-performance humanoid robot to be priced under 10,000 yuan (around 1,400 U.S. dollars). It also integrates smooth voice interaction and zero-threshold graphical programming functions, enabling to be more easily developed and programmed by users.
In late January, the CMG announced that Noetix Robotics would become its official humanoid robot partner for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala.
The Beijing-based start-up was established in 2023 and is committed to the research and development of multiple areas such as general artificial intelligence bodies, bionic robots and embodied operating systems, forming a product matrix including general humanoid robots and bionic robots.
Advanced humanoid robot brings backstage fun to Spring Festival Gala rehearsal
Advanced humanoid robot brings backstage fun to Spring Festival Gala rehearsal
Advanced humanoid robot brings backstage fun to Spring Festival Gala rehearsal
South China's Guangdong Province is accelerating its transformation into an international medical tourism hub, positioning itself as a destination for patients worldwide seeking affordable, high-quality care.
The push follows a joint initiative announced in late March by nine Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, aimed at boosting spending by foreign tourists and enhancing exports of tourism services as part of broader efforts to expand the country's service sector.
Every day, some of the most complex surgeries are performed here. Li Zilun, deputy director of the division of vascular surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, is among the doctors capable of carrying out these intricate procedures.
He recently completed surgery on a patient with an aortic aneurysm, a condition often described as a "time bomb" in the body’s main artery, increasingly common in aging societies around the globe. Li also specializes in highly difficult and pioneering procedures, including repairing leaks caused by failed grafts.
"This was a very challenging case. And then, we implanted the covered stent to eliminate the endoleak. Actually, the outcome was pretty good. The patient will be discharged today," said Li Zilun.
The ability to handle such complex cases -- combining international techniques with domestically produced devices -- is drawing patients from around the world to seek treatment. In addition, high safety standards and low costs are also major draws.
"Our government is encouraging innovation. So, lots of physicians -- including our vascular surgeons -- we are actively involved in the innovation that helps to increase the effectiveness and safety, and also bring down the cost," said Li.
This hospital is one of the first in Guangdong to be designated by the provincial health commission as a pilot site for building an international medical service hub.
The growing number of patients has pushed the hospital to explore new ways to transform every step -- from treatment to payment and everything in between -- into a seamless experience, reducing waiting times and delivering better care for patients.
"I think it's fast. When the patient come here for just about, I think, one week, you can solve the problem," said Xiao Haipeng, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.
The hospital is also deepening its international cooperation with top-tier medical institutions, including those at Harvard University.
"Not just for China, for the whole globe, we are facing health care challenges -- emerging infectious disease and chronic, lung infectious diseases, and also the aging population, also the shortage of healthcare workforce," said Xiao.
In response to these challenges, China is promoting its own solutions, including aggressive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven workflows, while stepping up research and development investment and global engagement along the way.
"In recent years, the innovation in Western medicine is dramatically growing. An example of my hospital -- in the past few years, we have 140 innovations and seven of them are international leading innovations," said Xiao.
As global demand for medical tourism grows, China is positioning itself as a new destination. Official data shows that the number of foreign patients in Guangdong increased by 20 percent last year. Among them, the growth in inpatient admissions was even faster, rising by 76 percent.
Guangdong fast-tracks pilot for int'l medical service hub
