CCTV New Year’s Gala, generally abbreviated as Chunwan (春晚), is an annual event that millions of people follow and I’m here to explain what it’s all about.
To sum it up: if you mash together an Olympic opening ceremony, Eurovision and whatever’s the most popular reality TV show at the moment—but take out all of the competitive elements—you would get Chunwan.
It’s the world’s most-watched TV program with 4.5 hours of supposedly-entertaining performances and Communist Party propaganda sprinkled in. Google’s top search results for Chunwan will tell you that it’s an integral part of Lunar New Year’s celebrations for the Chinese, but what does the actual viewing experience entail?
For my family and many others, the tradition goes beyond just gluing our eyes to the screen and discussing the performances in-person and online. Chunwan facilitates the gathering of friends and family.
Note: My family in Canada may not watch Chunwan in real-time due to the 12-hour difference, but we have the next best thing. We simply visit the official Youtube channel of CCTV New Year’s Gala and incorporate it into our Eastern Standard Time evening celebrations.
Pre-Chunwan Set-up: Dinner
Some typical Chinese dishes (Source: xiaoyingzi via Pixabay)
A hearty evening meal always precedes Chunwan. Plates of chicken, pork, beef, duck, lobster, freshwater fish, various greens and other dishes occupy every available space on the table. Lunar/Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday in Chinese culture and the food reflects that.
The dinner itself will last about two hours. Two hours of testing the limits of your stomach. I think anyone from a food culture with long mealtimes will know what I’m talking about.
My tip: Join the conversation once in a while to take a break from the eating.
Even if you beg someone not to feed you anymore (refusals in Chinese culture are often done out of politeness and therefore meaningless), they won’t. Food never stops piling up on your plate—especially if you’re part of the younger crowd at the table.
I always make sure to wear pants with an adjustable waistband so I can make it to the living room afterwards. Skinny jeans can kill at a Chinese dinner party.
Spring Gala Couch-fest begins
After dinner, you’ll drag yourself to the couch. Someone from the host family offers whatever’s on the coffee table: usually an assortment of candy and nuts.
Recall that polite refusals don’t work and make sure to eat slowly. Empty hands and an unmoving mouth will attract the attention of the hosts—a visiting family disadvantage.
Once settled, everyone watches Chunwan from the beginning. Emcees dramatically introduce the festivities, CGI fireworks appear and I’ll sink into the couch hugging a cushion.
Myriad of Performers
Have you seen 2008 Beijing Olympics’ opening ceremony? Chunwan has similar cultural performances that show off detailed choreography and costumes.
While it doesn’t feature anything groundbreaking, Chunwan‘s strength lies in its variety: comedy skits, regular talk segments, singing, dancing, acrobatics, celebrities and non-celebrities and the list goes on.
CCTV overwhelms you with its huge screen displays, intricate graphics and 3D projections.
Central China TV, China’s state broadcaster, goes all out with the special effects. “Simplicity” doesn’t appear in the program’s dictionary.
Chunwan becomes a colourful blur after the first hour. The volume of the TV remains moderate to facilitate chatting and avoid bothering the neighbours.
Chunwan occasionally shows some restraint with the special effects, giving your tiring eyes a rest. (Source: CCTV via Youtube)
The “adults’ chat” often entertains you more than Chunwan.
From arranging blind dates to discussing middle-schoolers’ career paths (something my younger sister is a victim of), an endless array of topics pop-up alongside the different performances.
Actually, I’m pretty sure families just use Chunwan as a random-topic generator and sleeping agent for the young ones.
This year, during a song featuring dancing vegetables and women in work-out attire (promoting healthy living), my father asked me if I have used my university gym membership yet.
I skillfully dodged his question by exclaiming “Wow, is that guy they’re tossing into the air supposed to be a stalk of asparagus?” Watch this timestamped performance to see what I took advantage of:
Waking up to the Red Packet Scramble
As the sensory overload continues, you’ll eventually doze off hoping that you won’t drool on the cushion in your arms. The show continues and ends without you. My mother usually shakes me awake to go home or show the guests out.
Photo of a red packet by Jpquidores via Wikicommons
As you go near the entrance and finish packing dinner leftovers in storage containers, the annual theatrical argument over Chinese red packets begins. My younger sister and I usually get attacked by people trying to give us red envelopes of cash. My mother will refuse profusely and intercept the exchange. Things can get physical with people shoving envelopes into your pockets, but the whole ordeal always ends with my sister and I thanking our elders.
After the door closes, I know my father will remark “Last year’s Chunwan was better, this year was just okay.”
However, even the critics will continue to watch Chunwan year after year.
After all, Chunwan isn’t just a TV program… It makes people gather and focus on one activity together during one of the biggest celebration of the year.
That’s not to say that you can’t play Chunwan in the background as you celebrate Chinese New Year alone. You don’t even have to understand Mandarin to be able to enjoy the lengthy and spectacular show.
Do you watch any New Year specials on TV? Does your family get together and plan around it?
If you’re interested in watching a replay of the last Chunwan, I recommend this martial arts segment:
Featured image source: EastDay
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