A Chinese New Year's Eve classic for families across China and around the world, the 40-year-old Spring Festival Evening Gala, presented by China Media Group (CMG), kicked off on Saturday night with various high-tech twists.

The Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan," has been a must-watch event for Chinese New Year celebrations since its premier in 1983. 

Broadcast live in 8K Ultra HD and mixed with 3D Color Sound, the five-hour-long show featured singing, dancing, cross talks, short plays, acrobatics, Peking Opera and other kinds of performances to viewers worldwide.

The show's mascot, "Tu Yuanyuan," has gained affection since the day it was released. It was the first original digital character designed from internet data analysis in the show's 40 years of history.

In order to integrate the mascot with performances, the production team deployed five AR cameras and motion capture technology based on 5G and AI analysis. The team also enhanced the rendering technology with stronger computer power for the mascot so that the hair of the rabbit was bouncier and closer to reality.

This year's stage design was unique for its inclusion of an interactive art installation above the studio hall.

Inspired by the evolution and reconstruction of the four-petal flower structure, the art installation is not only rooted in the aesthetics of the Chinese civilization but also reflects the presence of modern design concepts.

"We would like to pursue a simple and graceful style in designing the art installation above the main studio hall and deliver immersive visual effects for the audience, with the use of over 60,000 LED lights," said Zou Wei, deputy chief director of the gala.

An art installation functioning as a "clock" in the main studio hall implies the passage of time through the image of "Bao Xiang Hua," a hybrid floral pattern once commonly found in ancient ceramics and images of snowflakes.

"We spent about six months doing comparisons among some 200 drafts for the design of the 'clock.' It also took us much time testing the mechanical transmission and programming. Our inspirations mainly come from the traditional culture patterns during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the patterns of symbols in Dunhuang murals. The art installation fully embodies the traditional Chinese culture," said Cui Donghui, art consultant of the gala.

Meanwhile, the color concept of the gala, based on the traditional Chinese color system, reflected the inheritance and innovation of colors in traditional Chinese culture.

"While ensuring the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival Gala, we would also like to present a fresh and elegant visual style. In addition, we hope to create a unique color system of the gala. In other words, we would like to enhance the concept of traditional Chinese culture through the use of colors in our visual presentation," said Zou.

The gala was aired on January 21, 2023, Chinese New Year's Eve.