The 2021 Lantern Festival Gala, hosted by China Media Group (CMG), kicked off at 8:16 p.m. Friday to mark the end of the 15-day Spring Festival, bringing an immersive festive experience for the audience onsite and behind the screens.

CMG anchors send good wishes with songs and riddles

The 100-minute show opened with a creative 100 people chorus of the classical song "Unforgettable Tonight." All the singers are anchors from TV and radio channels and new media platforms of CMG, sending the festival greetings to everyone.

Guessing lantern riddles is a tradition at the Lantern Festival, and this time, it happened on stage. Several CMG anchors and cross-talk actors were divided into two groups and competed in guessing riddles, creating a joyful festive environment full of good wishes.

Popular lineup of the Spring Festival Gala appears again

The gala kept the lineup of the Spring Festival Gala. Actor and singer Wang Yibo, after performing on the Spring Festival Gala on the New Year's Eve, also joined the Lantern Festival Gala. He sang a song praising the youth and its fighting spirit for a brighter future.

Singers Zhang Ye and Zhou Shen cooperated again with a song while a scroll of China's green mountains and waters in spring was unveiled and praised people's hard work to create a better home.

Martial arts performance, a visual shock

Boys and girls with Zhonghua Martial Arts School from Laizhou, east China's Shandong Province, took the stage by storm with dozens of performers doing somersaults in sync. 

Martial arts are a revered part of Chinese culture with many styles listed as national intangible cultural heritage. Last year, Taijiquan, a form of Martial arts, was listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

Peking Opera, essence of traditional Chinese culture

The Peking Opera mix brought together familiar opera excerpts, which were performed by famous artists in China. After the Jilin Singing & Dancing Troupe opening the program with a wonderful performance, the Peking Opera artists brought "Mu Guiying Takes Command," "The Jewelry Purse," "Hongniang," "Yang's Heroine" and others, which were inspired by ancient Chinese stories and characters. 

The audience could not only experience the rich cultural heritage of Peking Opera from the exquisite and gorgeous costumes, but also feel the changes that Peking Opera has hidden since more than 200 years ago. 

Acrobatics embodies an indomitable spirit

Although scary and dangerous, acrobatic movements never disappointed audiences with thrill and wonder. The acrobats from Shanghai Circus School combined martial arts style, circus-style, and some Chinese cultural elements in the show "Monument," manifesting the spirit of bravery. 

The acrobats developed their styles based on traditional Chinese arts such as dance, martial arts, and magic shows. Founded in 1989, the Shanghai Circus School was the first acrobatics school in China and is very well regarded internationally.

Since 1985, the Lantern Festival Gala has accompanied Chinese people on the special occasion of a family reunion. It is an important festival gala second only to the Spring Festival Gala.

Here is the program list of this year's gala: