CMG 2026 Spring Festival Gala wows Taiwan audience with blends of techs, traditional culture

The China Media Group (CMG)'s 2026 Spring Festival Gala has wowed audience in China's Taiwan region with its integration of technological innovation and traditional culture, evoking strong emotional resonance.

While Chinese people around the world are celebrating the Spring Festival, the most important annual holiday which marks the start of the Chinese New Year, a cherished occasion which symbolizes family reunions and a time for renewal and new beginnings, watching the Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan", has been a cherished part of the celebrations every year in hundreds of millions of Chinese homes, with this year's edition livestreamed on Monday.

This year's Gala has not only captivated audiences on the mainland, but also garnered substantial attention from residents and media outlets in Taiwan, especially the highly-energetic humanoid robots performances.

During the Gala, a group of humanoid robots delivered an impressive martial arts display with precise movements and seamless coordination. Showcasing a unique blend of traditional martial arts and modern technology, the program left the audiences in awe.

Watching the Spring Festival Gala has long been a "New Year's tradition" for most families on the mainland, and now it is becoming increasingly popular for people across the Taiwan Strait as well.

In Taipei, Liu and Lin's family gathered together after their reunion dinner to watch the Gala through the internet. They were particularly impressed by the robot martial arts performance, which included a series of choreographed stunts and synchronized moves, including the "drunken fist" and dynamic nunchuck routines and consecutive backflips.

"I never imagined that I would see robots doing backflips and performing martial arts on the Spring Festival Gala. I was truly surprised. The revolutionary progress in robotics and technology is absolutely amazing," said Lin.

"There were some rather unique parts, especially the robot backflips, which were quite stunning. If certain details weren't executed perfectly, it would be impossible for the robots to perform such human-like movements. That's truly remarkable. This integration into the Spring Festival was incredibly impressive and unforgettable," said Liu.

A creative floral-themed song known as "He Huashen" or "Ode to the Flower Deities", has emerged as one of the works resonating the most with audiences across the island.

Lin said that this song was not only a visual feast but also a technological rebirth of traditional culture.

"I personally really love the 'He Huashen' segment, because I think it intertwines ancient poetry with virtual reality technology, presenting traditional art in contemporary context. It’s an immersive aesthetic experience of thousand-year-old poetry, making viewers feel as if they are stepping back to the grandeur of ancient Chinese literature. It's truly amazing," said Lin.

For many Taiwan residents, the most emotionally resonant part of the Gala would be the performance of a lineup of iconic Taiwan songs sang by eight well-known artists from the island.

"There's truly an unbreakable and inseparable cultural bond between the two sides of the Strait. Taiwan's singers of different generations were performing iconic Taiwan songs [at the Gala]. No matter where we are in the world, we, as Chinese people, should always keep a Chinese heart and remember that we are Chinese. Let's celebrate the Chinese New Year together and realized the Chinese dream with our joint endeavors," said Wang Bingzhong, a current affairs commentator in Taiwan.

CMG 2026 Spring Festival Gala wows Taiwan audience with blends of techs, traditional culture

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival