The Chinese dragon is brought to life every year by troupes of dancers from Chongqing bringing blessings for all seasons.
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It's Xia Chengzi's time to shine. The appointment of the 39-year-old as the Lighting Director for the annual Spring Festival Gala has been 15 years in the making, starting when he first joined the team in 2009. In the world's most-watched television program, every detail must be flawless, including the lighting design, which brings the stage to life with color, texture, and intensity, enhancing the storytelling of each performance.
Each year, the Spring Festival Gala's LED stage backdrops have wowed viewers with their splendid visual effects. Lighting design plays a crucial role, complementing the vibrant LED screens, the performers' costumes, and the overall spatial aesthetics to craft a cohesive visual experience. The team also focuses on refining the ambiance beyond the stage, employing techniques to ensure the auditorium's lighting is both soft and uniformly distributed.
For over 40 years, tuning into the Spring Festival Gala on Chinese New Year's Eve has become a tradition amongst Chinese families across the globe, making it an integral part of the festival celebrations. “I also want to go home and be with my father, and my grandma and grandpa,” Xia admits. “However, I can't bear to be apart from this stage.” For Xia, being at the forefront of producing the world's grandest celebration, witnessed by the largest audience, is an honor he holds dear. Under Xia's guidance, the 2024 Spring Festival Gala is poised to be an extraordinary display of his dedication and artistic talents.
A cornerstone of Chinese culture, the Spring Festival is marked by time-honored customs such as family reunions, where loved ones travel long distances to gather and celebrate with festive activities that reinforce familial bonds and cultural heritage. The year 2024 marks the Year of the Dragon, where the festival takes on added significance with the majestic dragon dance, an ancient tradition beautifully preserved and reinterpreted by cultural guardians to resonate with contemporary audiences.
Every year on New Year’s Eve, half a billion viewers across the world tune in to the Spring Festival Gala, a variety show that has run for 40 years, and in 2012 was certified by the Guinness World Records as the most watched national television show.
The Chinese dragon is brought to life every year by troupes of dancers from Chongqing bringing blessings for all seasons.
An enduring symbol of Chinese culture, the dragon takes center stage in this year's vibrant Spring Festival celebrations.
Join Xia Chengzi, the new Lighting Director of the Spring Festival Gala as he takes viewers behind the scenes to reveal the efforts involved in crafting a visually cohesive spectacle for one of the year's most significant celebrations, and in bringing to life one of the world's most viewed television shows.