The last rehearsal for the 2018 Spring Festival Gala

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The 2018 Spring Festival Gala is set to begin at 20:00 BJT precisely on the Spring Festival’s Eve, and it had the last round of rehearsals on Tuesday.

Being the world's most watched show and carrying great expectations from the Chinese audience, this year’s Gala will include innovations in both genre and types of performance.

More details about the show were revealed after the rehearsal.

"Zhong" stage

The stage of the Gala featuring the Chinese character "Zhong". /CCTV Photo

The main venue will be at the old CCTV building's studio as usual, only the design of the stage will feature the Chinese character “Zhong”. Performers will sing or dance on the structure which is capable of moving in various directions.

Young faces get the chance to shine

Quite a number of young faces will join the veterans to perform at the Gala. According to Yang Dongsheng, director of the 2018 Spring Festival Gala, about one third of the performers and actors are new.

Besides, Faye Wong and Na Ying, both considered as divas in the Chinese-language pop-music circles, will join together and perform a new song for the audience, 20 years after their first duet on the Gala.

Performers walking outside the studio. /CCTV Photo

New and earthed themes

Some trending news topics have also found their way into the Gala. Themes for comedy sketches and cross-talks this year will be about anti-bureaucracy, the sharing economy and children’s education, most of which have triggered heated debate and discussions on social media.

International Style

As the Chinese Spring Festival become increasingly well known around the world in recent years, the Gala has been trying to forge a more international show for its audience. Artists and actors from Russia, the UK, the US, Italy, France, Egypt and Kenya will participate in this year’s event. It is the natural result of Chinese culture becoming increasing popular around the globe.

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