It's time to admire the full moon, eat mooncakes and gather with families to watch the 2021 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala. Presented by China Media Group (CMG), the annual gala, also known as Qiuwan in Chinese, will be seen by a global audience on Tuesday night as it is simultaneously broadcast overseas for the first time.

Since the gala was first broadcast live by China Central Television (CCTV) in 1991, it has become overwhelmingly popular among the Chinese diaspora and is now one of the most popular festive TV shows with hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.

One of China's major traditional festivals, the Mid-Autumn Festival, falling on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, arrives this year on September 21. The gala will be broadcast at 8:00 p.m. (BJT) on CCTV-1, CCTV-3, CCTV-4 and multiple digital platforms.

Here is a sneak peek at highlights of this grandiose show before the curtain rises, and stay tuned to CGTN to experience the festive atmosphere.

This year's gala was recorded earlier this month in Xichang, capital of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province and home to the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, and presented on a 360-degree stage, the largest of its kind in the show's history.

The main stage was inspired by the Big Dipper, a constellation of the seven brightest stars of the larger constellation Ursa Major, and China's own global navigation satellite system, BeiDou, named after the Big Dipper asterism, symbolizing best wishes for happiness, reunion, companionship and coexistence.

Featuring space elements, it will spotlight people who have devoted themselves to the development of China's aerospace industry. Singer Zhou Shen will perform a song about stars to pay tribute to industry heroes.

As some traditional images, such as the bright moon shining over the sea, are set on the stage, the 2021 gala will offer a blend of traditional elements and advanced technologies, showcasing a panoramic picture of Chinese culture and history.

The gala, divided into three chapters and following a time-travel narrative, will take audiences back thousands of years to the ancient Chinese empire during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and also present a modern city of cutting-edge techniques.

Advanced technologies, such as AR, will be featured to create an immersive experience for viewers, while VR and AI is also being employed to bring a visual feast to the audience.

The gala will highlight Chinese elements, ethnic characteristics, regional culture and different civilizations of the world, featuring various performances including dance and symphony, according to the program list released over the weekend.

Celebrities and icons in different industries from all over China will present special collaborations, performing a series of popular and classic songs to celebrate the Moon Festival and share dreams, hopes and prayers.

For instance, actors Jing Boran and Liu Shishi will sing the hit song "Wishing We Last Forever," while actor Du Jiang and livestream influencer Weiya will perform "A Night with Blooming Flowers and a Full Moon."

Viewers from all around the world will see the beautiful natural scenery of Liangshan and the cultural landscape of the Yi ethnic group, while folk songs passed down through generations and new adaptations will be showcased to present both the old and new Yi spirit.

A variety of dance styles, including Chinese classical dance, ethnic minority folk dances and contemporary dance, will also be presented against computer-generated stage effects, offering the audience an audiovisual feast.