CMG unveils program list of 2026 Spring Festival Gala

China Media Group (CMG) on Monday unveiled the program lineup for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, the country's most-watched annual television event, just hours before its prime time broadcast at 20:00.

This year's Gala, themed "Galloping Steed, Onward Unstoppable", will showcase a diverse lineup of performances from singing and dance to opera, martial arts, skits and magic.

From innovative expressions of traditional culture to the cross-cultural fusion of Chinese and international arts, the entire gala is filled with fresh creativity and a festive, auspicious atmosphere, conveying the heartfelt warmth of shared spring across the globe.

The Gala links Beijing's main stage with sub-venues in Harbin in northeast China, Yiwu in Zhejiang Province and Hefei in Anhui Province of east China, and Yibin in southwest China, together offering a vibrant blend of tradition and modern flair.

Commonly known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, the gala has been broadcast live every 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.

The Gala's prominence was further underscored when the Spring Festival was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024.

CMG unveils program list of 2026 Spring Festival Gala

CMG unveils program list of 2026 Spring Festival Gala

CMG unveils program list of 2026 Spring Festival Gala

CMG unveils program list of 2026 Spring Festival Gala

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