This Is the World's Most-Watched Television Show
Chinese pop band TFBoys will perform in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.
Photographer: Imaginechina via AP Images
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While Lunar New Year celebrations may be best known for food, fireworks and family reunions, in China the holiday is also epitomized by a single TV show.
Since 1983, viewing at least part of the Spring Festival Gala on the state-run China Central Television network, or CCTV, has been a national tradition. This year’s program will run for about four hours on Thursday night, and include songs, dance routines and comedy acts spotlighting China’s provinces and various ethnic groups. Spots about national heroes and key government projects -- such as the Belt and Road Initiative -- also feature.