Spring Festival Gala sees viewership rise nearly 13% to 679m
The annual CCTV Spring Festival gala aired on Feb 9, Lunar New Year's Eve, attracting 679 million viewers, a year-on-year increase of 12.69 percent.
The gala was also broadcast in about 200 countries in 68 languages, receiving warm feedback.
This year, the gala, besides Beijing, had four branch venues in Shenyang, Liaoning province, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Changsha, Hunan province, and Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Audience enjoyed a diversity of local cultural elements from those places, such as folk musical instruments and folk dances.
Supported by ultra-high-definition production, the gala was telecast on TV screens, public large screens, and mobile devices.
Since its inaugural broadcast in 1983, the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala has become an integral part of celebrations in the country to usher in the Chinese New Year. A major entertainment during Lunar New Year's Eve, the gala marks the joyous moment when families gather together to celebrate.
