Craft inheritors prepare headpieces for opera troupe ahead of Spring Festival tour

A video about a master craftsman and his son making headpieces, or "Kui Mao", for a Wu opera troupe ahead of their Chinese New Year tour was featured in the 2026 Spring Festival Gala broadcast on Monday evening.

The China Global Television Network (CGTN) Super Night segment, titled "The Story of the Kui Mao", showed a story about craftsman Mei Lizhong, who has made these iconic headdresses for over 30 years, and is now passing on the cultural heritage to his son.

Wu Opera, also known as Jinhua Opera, is a time-honored art form from east China's Zhejiang Province.

More than a costume piece, each "Kui Mao" conveys a character's gender, status and personality traits.

Built on a paper-carved frame and adorned with delicate kingfisher feathers and shimmering gold gilding, each detail reveals the character's identity.

The annual gala, also known as "Chunwan," was first broadcast in 1983 and has become a hallmark of Spring Festival celebrations in China.

Recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s most-watched annual television program, the show attracts more than one billion viewers each year.

Craft inheritors prepare headpieces for opera troupe ahead of Spring Festival tour

Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with the European Parliament's delegation for relations with China led by chair Engin Eroglu in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with the European Union (EU) to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

He said China stands ready to join hands with the EU to address global challenges, promote exchanges and cooperation among legislative bodies, effectively utilize communication mechanisms, and advance the sound and stable development of China-EU relations.

Eroglu said the EU stands ready to work with China to contribute to the development of EU-China relations.

Senior Chinese legislator meets European Parliament delegation