Yibin sub-venue paints touching portrait of maternal love, reunion during Lantern Festival Gala

A deeply moving depiction of maternal love and the joy of reunion touched audiences through a heartfelt song performed at the 2026 Lantern Festival Gala sub-venue of Yibin City in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday evening.

Hosted by the China Media Group (CMG), the long-running gala this year featured four sub-venues in addition to the main stage in Beijing. Taking the grand show to new locations each year has become a new tradition, shining a spotlight on more of China's varied landscapes and cultural traditions.

At the Yibin venue, a special song depicting the all-important theme of family during the traditional Lantern Festival tugged at the heartstrings of viewers, displaying a yearning for a mother's love and the profound sentiments of festive reunion.

The moving musical number centered on a child's longing for a traditional Chinese dessert called tangyuan, glutinous rice balls which are typically served during the Lantern Festival. The word "tangyuan" sounds similar to the word for "reunion" in Chinese, making it a symbolic food which strengthens the idea of families coming together at this festive time.

Yibin is a dynamic city where time-honored traditions and modern vitality coexist harmoniously. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Yangtze River, the gala segment brought folk customs to life, portraying scenes of family reunions and festive joy while highlighting the river-side city's unique scenery.

In addition to Yibin, the other sub-venues for this year's Lantern Festival Gala included Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China known as the "ice city," the trading hub of Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang, which has been dubbed "the world's supermarket," and Hefei, the provincial capital of the eastern Anhui Province which has emerged as a prime location for sci-tech innovation.

The Lantern Festival, observed on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, lands on Tuesday this year, and marks the conclusion of the country's Spring Festival celebrations, which center around the Chinese New Year.

First broadcast back in 1985, the Lantern Festival Gala stages a whole host of entertaining variety performances including energetic song and dances, comedy sketches, as well as traditional operas and magic shows, highlighting China's unique cultural charm.

With a history spanning over 2,000 years, the Lantern Festival is deemed an important annual occasion in China, and is a time to admire the full moon, view traditional lantern shows, and eat "Yuanxiao" or "Tangyuan", a traditional ball-shaped Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice.

Yibin sub-venue paints touching portrait of maternal love, reunion during Lantern Festival Gala

Refraining from the use or threat of force in international relations is in the fundamental interests of all parties, including Israel, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding a phone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at the latter's request.

After listening to Sa'ar's briefing on Israel's position regarding the current situation, Wang said that China has consistently advocated resolving international and regional hotspot issues through dialogue and consultation, and that all parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

For many years, China has been committed to promoting a political settlement of the Iran nuclear issue, Wang said, adding that recent talks between Iran and the United States had been making clear progress and also addressed Israel's security concerns.

Regrettably, this process has now been disrupted by military strikes, Wang said.

China opposes the military strikes launched by Israel and the United States against Iran. The use of force cannot truly resolve the issue. Instead, it will create new problems and grave repercussions, Wang said.

The true value of military strength lies not on the battlefield but in preventing war, said Wang, noting that China calls for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the conflict from further escalating and spiraling out of control.

He said that China has consistently upheld a just position on Middle East issues and will continue to play a constructive role in promoting de-escalation.

Wang also urged the Israeli side to take concrete measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions.

Sa'ar said that Israel attaches great importance to this matter and will safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions.

No use or threat of force serves all parties, including Israel: Chinese FM