The 2025 Spring Festival Chinese Opera Gala will air on January 30, the second day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. This year, the gala features a backdrop of an ancient city in northern China, offering the audience a unique immersive experience. CGTN's Hu Chao gives us a sneak peek at the gala rehearsal.
Despite the below-zero temperatures, both young and veteran artists have been rehearsing outdoors for several days in the Taiyuan Ancient City, in North China's Shanxi Province.
This year's Spring Festival Chinese Opera Gala features many outdoor performances. One of the opening highlights is the ancient street show.
ZHENG SIYUAN, Yingge dance performer "The Yingge dance which we perform is a national intangible cultural heritage, with a history of over 400 years. We younger generation must carry forward this traditional culture."
HU CHAO, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province "This year's traditional Chinese opera gala for the Spring Festival features an immersive and diverse performance. It will offer the audience a show full of modern flair and youthful energy."
The ancient street show features multiple opera performances and folk dramas staged simultaneously across four different streets, presenting a significant challenge for the director.
HAI WEI, Director of street shows, 2025 Spring Festival Chinese Opera Gala "The connection between streets, the integration of spaces, and the seamless linking of performances pose our greatest challenges. With around 500 performers on-site, coordinating everything is also a significant challenge."
YU HONGYA, Director, 2025 Spring Festival Chinese Opera Gala "In recent years, the annual opera gala has been held outdoors instead of in the studio. This time, the shows at different streets feature different styles but all embody the essence and power of the traditional opera."
Director Yu says as more children are now learning opera, many young performers have been selected for this event.
YU HONGYA, Director, 2025 Spring Festival Chinese Opera Gala "Despite the cold weather, the child performers displayed incredible energy and enthusiasm. This year, the youngest among them is just 4 years old, while the oldest are only 6 or 7. Their impeccable performances are sure to captivate the audience."
The gala brings together over 30 opera genres from across China, involving nearly a thousand performers. Hu Chao, CGTN, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.
