A lively musical performance featuring ethnic elements from across China brought a mythological story from an ancient Chinese text to life during the China Media Group (CMG)'s Spring Festival Gala on Monday evening.
Performed by Chinese singer Zhou Shen alongside children representing China's diverse ethnic groups, the song depicted the story of a divine horse named 'Jiliang', who features in a famous tale told in 'The Classic of Mountains and Seas', a major source of Chinese mythology that is believed to date back thousands of years.
In the classic text, Jiliang is described as having a white body, red mane, and golden eyes. Riding it was believed to grant a thousand-year lifespan, making it an auspicious symbol of longevity and good fortune.
The gala performance featured enchanting vocals and saw the children display the beauty of their traditional ethnic clothing while demonstrating their hopes for a bright future.
The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional holiday for the Chinese people, and watching the Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan," is a cherished part of the celebrations every year in hundreds of millions of Chinese homes.
Since first being broadcast in 1983, the gala has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.
In December 2024, the Spring Festival itself was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Ancient mythology brought to life as showcases folk tale, ethnic elements at Spring Festival Gala
