The 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, staged by China Media Group, brought viewers around the world an audiovisual feast powered by cutting-edge technologies on Friday night.
Providing a stunning visual feast through state-of-the-art technologies, the gala aimed to impress audiences through pervasive aesthetic sentiment featuring delicate stage designs in heart-warming settings.
Read more: Live: 'Over the Moon – Mid-Autumn Festival Show'
Held in Yibin, southwest China's Sichuan Province, the gala consisted of over 20 shows including solo and duet singing performances, orchestral performances and dances on four different stages.
The main stage was set up in Yangtze River Park next to the intersection of three rivers – Jinsha, Minjiang and Yangtze.
The gala created grand scenes with traditional Chinese cultural symbols such as poetry, water, music, the moon, bamboo and wine in ways that bridge traditional and modern aesthetics.
It was designed around a transparent structure which displayed the view from the front and back on a circular stage, allowing the audience to better appreciate the scenery of the Yangtze River.
The gala integrated the nearby beautiful scenery into the programs, while adopting ingenious large-size props to strengthen the visual effect on stage to stir resonance among the audiences for maximum effects.
/CMG
/CMG
"By using the lighting in different ways, and different angles of the stage, we will present different effects in a multi-dimensional way," Huang Tao, chief lighting designer of the gala, said ahead of the big night.
"The entire stage design was breathtaking, together with the beautiful views of mountains and rivers here, creating a perfect atmosphere for the Mid-Autumn Festival on this heart-warming occasion," said Chinese actress Zhang Xiaofei while rehearsing her song ahead of the gala.
"I watched the spectacular fireworks just now over there, the first time ever to watch it this close. And it was indeed stunning," said Chinese singer Li Ronghao.
/CMG
A vertical version
Based on CMG's 4K signal format, a vertical version of the performance was produced for the first time.
Making full use of CMG's intelligent AI horizontal-to-vertical cropping algorithm, this year's gala allowed vertical screen viewers to feel the warmth of the Mid-Autumn Festival on their mobile phones in real time.
The gala got over 100 million hits across the entire network, according to CMG data released on Saturday.
"It is a brand new and immersive experience to watch the gala on the vertical screen on a mobile phone," one social media user said.
CMG's Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, with 8K ultra-high definition, was broadcast on outdoor screens in 90 cities on September 29, 2023. /CMG
In addition, the 8K ultra-high definition gala was broadcast on more than 710 large outdoor screens in 90 cities across the country, such as Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province, where the Asian Games is being held from September 23 to October 8.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the night when the moon reaches its fullest and brightest on the 15th day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar.
During the festival, family members typically come together, share mooncakes, admire the moon and light up lanterns to enjoy the happiness of family reunion.
Read more:
CMG's 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala: Family bonds shine under full moon
Yibin, host city of 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala pursues green development