China Global Television Network (CGTN) released a video about the morin khuur, also known as the "horsehead fiddle," during its 2026 Spring Festival Gala broadcast on Monday evening.
The feature, aired in a segment titled "Strings of Eternity", paid tribute to the traditional stringed instrument named for the carved horsehead atop its neck. The instrument's sound is said to imitate the wind, the hooves, and the neighing of a horse. It carries the memories of the nomadic Mongolian ethnic group in northern China who make and play these iconic instruments.
The video was one of several cultural features at the annual Spring Festival gala, also known as "Chunwan," which 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, which was first broadcast in 1983, attracts more than one billion viewers each year.
Morin khuur heralds dawn of Year of Horse at Spring Festival Gala
Iran's capital Tehran was subjected to large-scale airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Friday night while two U.S. warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, Iranian forces said.
At around 21:00, an aircraft was seen flying over northeastern Tehran, and subsequently, Iran's air defense system was activated.
More than two hours later, Iran was hit by another air attack, leading to major explosions. It came after the Iranian military announced that its air defense system had successfully shot down a U.S. A-10 fighter jet, marking the second U.S. warplane hit by Iranian fire that day. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday night threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," a timeline he has recently set for ending the monthlong war.
Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire delivered to Iran through a "friendly" country, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Friday.
The report added that Iran's response to the offer was not given in writing, but through the continuation of attacks in the battlefield.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.
Tehran hit by large-scale US-Israeli air attacks
