BEIJING, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — This year’s Spring Festival Gala, an annual celebration produced and broadcast by China Media Group (CMG), unfolded on the eve of the Spring Festival on Friday evening. This occasion signifies a cherished time when Chinese people around the world gather with their families to welcome the Chinese New Year.
CGTN: 2024 Spring Festival Gala: A fusion of tradition and innovation captivates millions worldwide
As China’s most-watched TV program, the gala has been an annual tradition since its first broadcast in 1983. The 2023 gala has garnered 11 billion views across all CMG media channels, making it the most-watched TV show in the world.
This year, the gala showcases a mix of performances, from musical performances, comedy and traditional arts like opera and martial arts to spectacular acts such as magic and acrobatics. It also incorporates cutting-edge technologies like extended reality (XR) and immersive stage interaction technologies to enhance the viewing experience.
Among the standout performances, the creative New Year customs program showcased the richness and diversity of Chinese culinary culture, suggesting an abundant harvest in the Year of the Dragon. The China drum dance emerged as another vibrant highlight, with dancers in traditional attire energizing the stage with rhythmic drum beats. The choreography, a dynamic blend of precision and spontaneity, brought the ancient art form to life in a contemporary celebration.
Continuing this theme of innovation, the show "NEW YEAR BROCADE" creatively combined music with advanced virtual synthesis technology. It transformed representative symbols from ancient China into a mesmerizing display, staging an "ancient fashion show" where characters seem to emerge directly from paintings. By intertwining traditional and modern elements, it breathes new life into cultural motifs that have endured for millennia, dazzling the audience with a showcase of Oriental aesthetics.
These captivating performances were made possible by this year’s gala embracing the virtual production (VP) model, integrating an XR and VP system that blends virtual and physical elements in ultra-high-definition. Innovative shooting techniques, such as dynamic storyboard previews and the synchronization of virtual and real lighting effects, create a stunningly realistic space where virtual and physical worlds merge seamlessly.
For the first time, the studio hall employs an immersive stage interaction system equipped with a free-view ultra-high-definition camera setup. This system captures the actors’ movements from various angles, preserving the wonderful moments of the show. By leveraging AI production and augmented reality for real-time rendering, it creates a visual experience that blends performers and scenery together.
Another highlight of the gala is its adept storytelling, capturing the lives of ordinary people, from their challenges to their moments of happiness, and vividly bringing to life the scenes of daily life. For instance, the project "Spring Festival Gala is waiting for you," inviting ordinary people who have become internet celebrities, has become a standout feature of this year’s Spring Festival Gala.
Individuals from various backgrounds take center stage at the gala. From noodle chefs and retired technicians to police officers and athletes, people across diverse professions shared their stories in the opening short film "Our Spring Festival Gala," igniting hopes for a brighter future.
In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, CGTN kicked off the Loong Year Loong Dance challenge on January 8, reaching out to audiences across social media platforms worldwide. As dance knows no national boundaries, this challenge invites a global audience to connect with the culture and festive spirit of the Spring Festival, creating a bridge between diverse communities through the universal language of movement.
CGTN has broadcast the gala globally across its English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian language channels, as well as on new media platforms available in 68 languages, partnering with over 2,100 media outlets in 200 countries and regions.
Reflecting this worldwide appeal, over 3,000 public screens in 90 cities on six continents broadcast the Spring Festival Gala live, enabling people around the world to experience the unique charm of the Chinese Spring Festival and Chinese culture, all while enjoying songs and laughter on this joyous occasion.
Click here to watch the CGTN Super Night 2024 live broadcast.
