China’s enduring reach keeps dominating even as India grows in population, with the Lunar New Year causing the world’s largest seasonal migration and the annual television debut, known as chunwan, remaining the most watched broadcast. Nearly 700 million viewers tuned in last year, a figure that dwarfs the 123 million who once chased a candy-colored Super Bowl ball. Although officials praised a double-digit rise in attendance, the peak days of this spectacle seem behind it. The event drew a billion viewers in 2018.
Many Chinese recall the first chunwan publication as a turning point in their lives. It happened in 1983, when Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms were still fresh. In rural towns, families gathered around the single television set, enjoying music and dance, while the public requested songs. Early editions included short theatrical sketches and satirical pieces. Today the gala has expanded to include opera, acrobatics, and magic, all performed through a night that lasts from dinner into the early hours. The ritual also aligns with New Year traditions: cleaning the house, savoring lucky dumplings at a lavish banquet, exchanging red envelopes with money, and bright fireworks to ward off evil spirits.
The premiere requires months of artist filtering and rehearsals, kept tightly confidential until moments before broadcast. A single minute of performance can make a performer famous, fueling rumors as people compete to participate. The organization has repeatedly entrusted Zhang Yimou, once labeled the “enfant terrible” of Chinese cinema, with bringing the gala together. Peng Liyuan, a renowned soprano who later became a prominent public figure, helped shape its public image during her husband’s ascent to the presidency. The era’s conversations sometimes echoed whispers about Xi Jinping, a linkage that underscored the gala’s political resonance.
A Course in Contemporary History
The viewing of hundreds of hours around chunwan provides a lens on modern China. It has highlighted major national achievements such as space ambitions, the high-speed rail network, and striking infrastructures like the Three Gorges Dam. The broadcast has served to bolster national morale in the face of various challenges, from earthquakes to public health crises, and it has also offered a window into societal shifts, whether already realized or longed for. Families that once had one child now look forward to the possibility of larger families as birth policies shift to address aging demographics.
The gala has continually expanded its content, integrating social media and introducing youth slang. A dazzling choreography captures cameras through augmented reality and other impressive technologies. Yet the modern gleam is sometimes tempered by a sense of propagandistic tradition, with critics pointing to a certain stale undertone. The chunwan remains the most watched program worldwide, but it also draws some of the harshest scrutiny online, where many viewers lament the endurance of a format they have watched for decades.
Narratives about the event often travel to places like Kashgar, an ancient city with Uyghur cultural echoes that was chosen as a subsite for the program, showcasing its architectural beauty and the performances of dancers amid daily life scenes. In Xinjiang, concerns have been raised about ethnic policies, and international media outlets have questioned whether Beijing is intensifying assimilation efforts. The regime’s outlets have countered by emphasizing economic development and rejecting Western criticism. A year described as the Dragon Year promises ongoing drama as state propaganda and public perception continue to interact.
The balance, however, has not been entirely harsh. Observers note marginal improvements over the last edition and acknowledge that the event has consciously reduced overt ideological messaging while preserving its status as a cultural landmark. Creators recognize the risk of losing audience trust if the show veers too far from its familiar identity, making chunwan a brand deeply embedded in the nation’s memory.