The Spring Festival Gala in recent years has received mixed reviews. It has never been easy to satisfy the tastes and aesthetics of three generations of Chinese people, old, middle and young. What kind of answer did the 2024 Year of the Dragon Spring Festival Gala deliver?
This year’s Spring Festival Gala was pretty good.
Tear-inducing is a technical job, but memories are an eternal trick. CCTV Children's Channel host Ju Ping, Moon Sister, Xiaolu Sister, Dong Hao, Uncle Scarab, led a medley of songs called "We Grow Up After Watching Cartoons". Classic cartoon songs made many people instantly break through their defenses and moved them to the core. Sing together.
"Haier Brothers", "Shuke Beta", "Kitten Fishing", "Nezha Haohai", "Magic Pen Ma Liang", "Havoc in Heaven", "Calabash Brothers" and "Black Cat Sheriff" have set off a series of memories. In that era when we were children, in that era when we did not understand the worldly sophistication, in that era when electronic products were still far away, it was these cartoons that were not beautifully produced but full of sincerity that grew up with us. Childhood is great, but we can only feel it through cartoons. At this moment, we seem to have returned to childhood.
Since joining the sub-venue link, the Spring Festival Gala has also become a stage for major cities in the country to compete. The Weibo keyword "Xi'an Branch Venue Wins Ma" became a hot search, "...I am about to drink, but don't stop drinking. Let me sing a song, please listen to me." The whole people chanted Li Bai, the top poet of the Tang Dynasty. "About to Enter the Wine" is bold, free and soul-stirring, embodying the romance in the city of Chang'an and inspiring countless Chinese people to feel full of pride. Last year's hit movie "Chang'an 30,000 Miles" was released at the Xi'an branch of the Spring Festival Gala. The magnificent scene of the ancient capital Chang'an, the thousands of years of Chinese culture, the talent and character of the poets of the Tang Dynasty, sigh: "The spring breeze is proud of the horse's hoof disease, and I can watch it in one day." I wish you peace of mind."
Magician Liu Qian is a frequent visitor to the Spring Festival Gala, but he has also turned many big-name Spring Festival Gala hosts into "shills". In the early years, he had partnered with Dong Qing several times and gave the audience wonderful performances. Unexpectedly, Han Han suddenly issued an article criticizing Liu Qian's magic as a scam, and Dong Qing was also accused by Han Han of being a "shill". At this year's Spring Festival Gala, the host Nigmaiti , who is partnered with Liu Qian, deconstructed the "shill" in another way. Liu Qian led the audience to do a card magic trick. After a series of operations, the only two halves of playing cards left in his hand could be combined into a complete card. However, among the several guests on the stage who followed suit, Nigmaiti The cards don't seem to match up. Maybe everyone just wants to see the familiar Xiao Ni "sweat".
Of course, singing and dancing programs have always been the highlight of the Spring Festival Gala. Shan Yichun and Haila Amu sang "It's better to meet once, even just once. There are too many things in this world that I can't help but owe. You are the arrow that passes through my longing..." with beautiful background and textbook-level lighting. Against the background, Shan Yichun, who was wearing a dark green dress, looked like a "beautiful woman on the water". Netizens exclaimed, why don't we meet Shan Yichun.
Chen Lijun and Li Yunxiao, young Shaoxing opera actors who have been popular on the Internet for a long time, and many young actors from Peking opera, Pingju opera, Teochew opera and other operas, devoted themselves to presenting the prosperous scene of the new era opera garden. Although Chen Lijun is a girl, she interprets many niche characters in a chic and non-greasy way, and her partner Li Yunxiao's charming and not vulgar performance allows this golden pair of Shaoxing opera partners to break through the traditional comedy niche and have a large number of young people. Fans. Chen Lijun's title of "National Husband" spread like wildfire.
Shenzhen elements in the Spring Festival Gala
On New Year’s Eve this year, a total of 4 musical works “produced in Shenzhen” were featured on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Among them, "Her Pillow in the Light" is an original new work, which will be sung solo by Ren Suxi for about 3 minutes and will premiere in the Spring Festival Gala. The other three songs are songs that have been widely popular on the Internet in 2023 after being disseminated and promoted. They are "My Paper Plane", "Young You" and "I Will Wait". They will be skewered in the form of a medley directed by the Spring Festival Gala director. The group selects actors to perform. In addition, the song "Bloom" appeared in CCTV's special column "Countdown to the Spring Festival Gala".
At the same time, excerpts from the original dance drama "Wing Chun" "produced in Shenzhen" appeared on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala for the first time. Together with "Her Pillow in the Light", they became the "Light of Shenzhen" telling the story of Shenzhen, Guangdong, the Greater Bay Area and the story of China. ”, demonstrating the high-spirited attitude of Shenzhen’s literary and artistic New Year.
In addition to the new atmosphere of the literary and artistic New Year, the SAR spirit of Shenzhen people is also praised by others. A group of extraordinary ordinary people received invitations to watch the CCTV Spring Festival Gala live, including Lao Yi, a construction worker playing piano on the streets of Shenzhen. Lao Yi has been working in Shenzhen for more than 20 years. During this time, his hands have held shovels and mixed cement. By chance, a video of Lao Yi playing the piano on the streets of Shenzhen, wearing a safety helmet and overalls, quickly became popular on the Internet, and he became the focus of the crowd. Shenzhen has had a development miracle of more than 40 years. In addition to the support of national policies, it is also inseparable from the struggle and dedication of countless ordinary workers. "When you come, you are a Shenzhen person". This sentence has never been a slogan.
The Spring Festival Gala will always have traces of Shenzhen. In 2019, the Shenzhen branch of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala was held at the Civic Center Square in Lianhua Mountain. The changing lights and shadows of 43 buildings, the gleaming new urban night scene and the smiling faces of urban dreamers presented a joyful, auspicious and auspicious New Year. The atmosphere also highlights the infinite splendor and vitality of Shenzhen as a window city for reform and opening up.
In 2024, the Kashgar venue, the only non-provincial capital city branch venue of the Spring Festival Gala, also has contributions from Shenzhen builders. Since the launch of a new round of aid to Xinjiang in 2010, Shenzhen, as the only city under separate state planning among the 19 provinces and cities aiding Xinjiang, has provided counterpart support to Kashgar City and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in the Kashgar Prefecture. Over the past 13 years, batches of Shenzhen people have relied on their pioneering and dedication to , and innovative spirit rushed to the front line of aiding Xinjiang. When walking in Kashgar today, you can not only see the strong Western style in the streets and alleys, but you can also always find familiar Shenzhen companies and brands. Some netizens said that there is a "Shenzhen City" in Kashgar.
The Spring Festival Gala also highlighted Shenzhen’s “technical elements”. On the Spring Festival Gala in 2023, Huawei, Tencent, Unilumin Technology and other companies and institutions will bring cutting-edge technologies and applications such as 4k, 8k, three-dimensional color sound, and naked-eye 3D to the party, bringing a wonderful and shocking audio-visual feast to the audience.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala was a must-have "artistic feast" for Chinese people during the New Year. The whole family sat in front of the TV, eating New Year's Eve dinner and watching the Spring Festival Gala. This was entertainment A single and pure way to create special memories of that era.
The Spring Festival Gala we watched in those years
The origin of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala can be traced back to 1979. It was held with the theme of "New Year's Gala" and was held in the form of teahouses and ballroom dances. The Spring Festival Gala was officially held in 1983. There was no formal host arranged this year, only Liu Xiaoqing, Ma Ji, Jiang Kun, Wang Jingyu and several well-known art workers hosted it. The popular teacher Li Guyi sang 8 songs in one breath on the Spring Festival Gala in 1983, and Mr. Ma Ji performed three crosstalks in a row. These two records may not be matched by future generations.
But it is just such a party with only more than 60 people including actors and staff, a party that requires actors to prepare their own costumes, a party that is presented live for the first time, and a party with only a budget of 500 yuan and a space of 600 square meters. The party created a miracle with a ratings of 60%.
Why do we like to watch the Spring Festival Gala?
Since the Spring Festival Gala was launched more than 40 years ago, it has accompanied everyone to stay up late, laugh, move and reminisce. The people who accompany us to celebrate New Year's Eve may have dispersed or left, or the old ones may have been replaced by new ones, but the Spring Festival Gala will not be absent every year. Looking back on the Spring Festival Gala over the years, there are so many memorable moments. The Spring Festival Gala’s high ratings and wide influence have also caused stars from all over the country to compete to appear and show off their skills.
In 1986, Fei Xiang from Taiwan, China sang "A Fire in Winter" and "Clouds of Hometown" on the Spring Festival Gala. The tall and handsome mixed-race singer became the first idol of several generations, attracting hundreds of millions of viewers who were used to implicit expressions. Zi was enlightened and realized that love songs and nostalgia can be expressed passionately and unrestrainedly. In today's terms, Fei Xiang was the top performer of the year, and the Spring Festival Gala provided him with the only stage to quickly gain popularity. Many years later, most of the audiences who watched Fei Xiang's debut performance were parents, and they would still take their children to relive that unrestrained performance, which amazed the idols of the years and transcended age boundaries.
In 1993, Hong Kong singer Liang Yanling, who was born in Beijing, brought "Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind". That year, there were well-known singers such as Aaron Kwok, Su Rui, and Wang Jie who appeared on the Spring Festival Gala stage with Liang Yanling. Hong Kong singers such as Liang Yanling and others The star temperament impressed a large number of fans through the Spring Festival Gala stage. The phrase "You are like fog, rain and wind to me, and you come and go leaving nothing but nothing." The fashionable and charming but not vulgar interpretation conveyed the feeling of Hong Kong. The unique charm of an international city.
In the 2000 Millennium Spring Festival Gala, due to the "Dragon Jubilee Millennium", there were as many as 10 hosts for the Spring Festival Gala that year, an unprecedented lineup. Zhang Ziyi served as the opening guest. Hong Kong idol singer Nicholas Tse and "National First Love" Dong Jie walked hand in hand to the stage and amazed the audience. "Forever Together" seemed to be the wedding song of two "newcomers", sweet Dong Jie and handsome Dong Jie Nicholas Tse is the best interpretation of the wedding of the century, and time stops at that moment. "Life will always go well, and I will be with you in this life. If I have a moment, I would rather give up my loneliness, slowly experience happiness, and true feelings melt into true emotions." Nicholas Tse also used this song to further open up the mainland's performing arts market and enhance popularity in the mainland.
In the 2010 Spring Festival Gala, the "Little Tigers" group reunited, awakening the youthful memories of those born in the 1980s. In the late 1980s, when there were only tape machines and paper posters, the "Little Tiger Team" composed of Su Youpeng, Wu Qilong and Chen Zhipeng became the idols of thousands of boys and girls. Many years later, when the three of them sang "Love", "Butterflies Fly" and "Green Apple Paradise" on the same stage again, three popular songs of the year, whether it was "String your heart, my heart, string a piece of luck" Grass, make a concentric circle" or "Follow me to swing to your heart's content, follow me and don't be sad, follow me to radiate brilliance and illuminate the darkness of the sky", the lyrics drift away with the rhythm. Although the years of youth have passed, the emotion is still there. .
Why is the Spring Festival Gala so influential?
This is the opportunity given by the times. In 1977, there were less than 200,000 television sets in the country. The first color TV production line introduced in China in 1978 was completed and put into operation in 1982, marking that China's TV industry entered a stage of rapid growth. In the late 1980s, the "color TV craze" was unprecedentedly popular, and China's TV ownership increased at an annual rate of 30%. . In 1987, China's TV production volume officially surpassed Japan's, reaching nearly 20 million units, becoming the first in the world.
In the 1980s and 1990s, television served as the main communication medium for social information, carrying the dual functions of transmitting universal social values and guiding public aesthetics, and its ability to create stars was extraordinary. In 1984, the little-known Zhang Mingmin opened up the music market in mainland China through "My Chinese Heart". Andy Lau, who was in his prime, appeared at the 1995 Spring Festival Gala and sparked cheers from the audience. In 1991, the influence of Taiwanese singer Jiang Yuheng's performance of "Looking Back Again" So many years later, it was still used in the episode of the TV series "Flowers". Fan Xiaoxuan and Xie Xiaodong sang and danced "Healthy Song" on the 1998 Spring Festival Gala to vent their fashion vitality. The two queens Faye Wong and Na Ying sang the song "Meet in 1998" together. It became the song of the century, and Lee Min Ho became the first Korean artist to appear on the Spring Festival Gala with the Korean version of "Love Has to Be".
Language programs have become the appetizer of the Spring Festival Gala every year. As the most anticipated program for Chinese audiences in the Spring Festival Gala, the laughter and curses are all a mark of the times.From the era when cross talk was the mainstream comedy, "Ah Q's Monologue" performed by Yan Shunkai at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 1983 was the first time that the "sketch" performance form was used. Many actors have transformed from veteran actors in their respective fields into "new comedy forces" because of their participation in Spring Festival Gala crosstalk and sketches. Zhu Shimao and Chen Peisi's classic sketches "Eating Noodles" and "Police and Thieves", Huang Hong and Song Dandan's "Supernatural Guerrilla", "Hand in Hand", "Yangko Love" and "Wedding", Niu Qun and Feng Gong's cross talk works "Thieves Company", "Colon" "Anecdotes of Rat Extermination", "A Family of Lies", "Selling Kidnappers", "Selling Cars", "Heart Disease" and "Water Delivery Man" by Zhao Benshan, Gao Xiumin and Fan Wei of the "Golden Iron Triangle". From the comedians born in the 50s and 60s to the rise of comedians born in the 70s, 80s and 90s such as Shen Teng, Ma Li, Xiao Shenyang, Yue Yunpeng, Jia Ling and others, "I miss you so much" and "You are so talented." "The annual Spring Festival Gala is a platform for catchphrases and golden sayings to become popular.
Dance programs export oriental aesthetics and Chinese culture. The dancers at the Spring Festival Gala used their bodies to interpret moving stories. From Yang Liping's dance drama "Peacock" and Huang Doudou's "Drunken Drum" to the 2005 hit "Avalokitesvara", and then to "Only Green" in recent years, dance programs have carried the creative aesthetics in the Spring Festival Gala. The function of artistic conception. "Small Town Rain Lane" takes the audience into the dreamy and misty Jiangnan, "Dunhuang·Flying Apsaras" reproduces the flying goddess in Dunhuang murals, and "Military Training Dance" vividly shows the heroic soldiers of the Red Detachment of Women.
Why do we still watch the Spring Festival Gala?
The Spring Festival Gala has entered the 24th year of the 21st century with several generations. The ways and channels for people to understand information have become more diversified. From the original radio, black and white TV, color TV, 4k TV, to the current smart phone, we have You don’t need to turn on the TV to get information. Maybe our TVs have been turned on only a few times every year, but on New Year’s Eve, most of us will turn on the TV and select the CCTV set on the remote control. Even if the Spring Festival Gala is reduced to background sound most of the time, it is also the Chinese Spring Festival. Symbolic imprint.
Americans have the "Super Bowl", Brazilians have the Carnival, and the Chinese have the Spring Festival Gala. It is the emotional bond that maintains the Chinese nation. The Spring Festival Gala is not only a "literary feast" for ordinary Chinese people to reunite, but also a true portrayal of the feelings of family and country.
Chinese people value family ties, and the Spring Festival Gala tells the story of the "reunion" of a small family: On New Year's Eve, as a common activity for families, the Spring Festival Gala creates a unique cultural space for families to gather together and share family relationships. Chinese people attach great importance to family and national sentiments, and the Spring Festival Gala expresses the "reunion" of home and country: "Nostalgia", "My Chinese Heart", "Clouds of Hometown" and other classic songs that are still sung today convey the nostalgia of countless people at home and abroad for their hometown. Chinese people attach great importance to China, and the Spring Festival Gala also symbolizes the "unity" of the Chinese nation: 56 ethnic groups sing and dance, singers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan sing the same song. Overseas Chinese all over the world share this moment, and the world is one family. No matter where they are, when The song "Unforgettable Tonight" sounded, and "wishing the motherland well" is the common wish of all Chinese people.
In the 1983 Spring Festival Gala, the audience participated in the Spring Festival Gala interaction through "telephone on-demand" and "guessing lantern riddles with prizes". After the turn of the millennium, the audience's interaction methods have become diversified. The Spring Festival Gala programs are played on the TV and red envelopes are grabbed on the mobile phone. Sending blessing text messages, the Spring Festival Gala is no longer the only entertainment for staying up late on New Year's Eve. Even though fewer and fewer young people stop in front of the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala, audiences will always find the Spring Festival Gala in various ways. TV replays, Weibo hot searches, short videos, even an emoticon or an old meme, as long as this year’s Spring Festival Gala leaves a mark on you, it will be unforgettable.
Spring Festival Gala Unforgettable Tonight
Spring Festival Gala cleverly combines the grand narrative of the country with the trivial matters of people's lives. Important events in the fields of politics, economy, culture, society and diplomacy in the past year are all epitomized here. Even if the Spring Festival Gala no longer has the ability to create stars, the influence of the Spring Festival Gala is still unmatched.
Even though teacher Li Guyi, who has been singing for almost 40 years, no longer appears at the Spring Festival Gala and no longer sings the song "Unforgettable Tonight" in person, the moment of the Spring Festival Gala is still unforgettable and memorable. Although singers and comedians who are gradually fading out cannot hinder the aging of their bodies, the beautiful memories they leave to the audience will never go out of style. The Spring Festival Gala is like a time capsule, which is usually not noticed, but once opened, it is filled with memories. It is also like an old wine, the more you taste it, the more you savor it, and it contains the deepest emotions.
Author | Yang Ying, chief writer of Shenzhen TV Direct News
