Show must go on as Children's Day gala adapts to pandemic

As an annual event to celebrate Children's Day in China on Monday, China Media Group－the country's largest broadcaster－usually holds a dazzling, annual celebrity-studded gala.

But the "tradition", which has been kept for 35 years, has been forced to adapt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of gathering crowds to dance and sing on the stage, this year's gala, which will air on Monday, will employ mostly prerecorded content such as poem recitations, says Xu Beibei, who has served as the gala's chief director for three consecutive years.

Xu says that she believes such a change could also have its positives－it could expand the stage digitally, inviting more children to join the production than ever.

China's schools often start a new spring semester after the winter vacation, but most students were forced to take a much longer "holiday" due to the outbreak.