Spring Festival Gala sees viewership rise nearly 13% to 679m

This year’s Spring Festival Gala, a celebration     1     (annual) produced and broadcast by China Media Group (CMG), unfolded on the eve of the Chinese New Year on Friday evening. This occasion signifies a cherished time when Chinese people around the world gather with their     2     (family) to welcome the Chinese New Year, attracting 679 million viewers,     3     15.13 % increase from the previous year.

The gala was also broadcast in about 200 countries in 68 languages,     4     (receive) warm feedback.

This year, the gala, besides Beijing,     5     (have) four branch venues in Shenyang, Liaoning province, Xi’an, Shaanxi province, Changsha, Hunan province, and Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Audience enjoyed a     6     (diverse) of local cultural elements from those places, such     7     folk musical instruments and folk dances.

    8     (support) by ultra-high-definition production, the gala was telecast on TV screens, public large screens, and mobile devices.

Since its inaugural (创始的) broadcast in 1983, the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala     9     (become) an integral part of celebrations in the country to usher (引领) in the Chinese New Year. A major entertainment during Lunar New Year’s Eve, the gala marks the joyous moment     10     families gather together to celebrate the upcoming year.

The TV series, A Li felong Journey,     1     (earn) widespread applause, becoming the most-watched TV series on State broadcaster China Media Group in the past five years.

A Li felong Journey,     2     (consist) of 58 episodes, is adapted from famous writer Liang Xiaosheng’s novel of the same name which won the 10th Mao Dun Literature Prize, one of the country’s top honors for local writers. Starting in     3     late 1960s, the story follows the ups and downs of three children in a working-class family in northeastern China, striking a chord (和弦) with viewers for its details     4     (vivid) bringing them back to old times. First     5     (publish) in December 2017, the novel shows a wide range of Chinese people from different     6     (walk) of life, from constructors to start-up founders, to examine the huge influence brought by the changes of Chinese society.

Tie Ning, chairwoman of the China Writers’ Association, said the great     7     (popular) of the TV series, A Li felong Journey, illustrates the “close bond”     8     literature and television. “While taking a look at history, we could see the mutual (相互的) influence of literature, film and television to boost and inspire each other,     9     has connected writers and filmmakers closely,” she added. With popular TV series or movies, the stories that have inspired such screen works will see their influence grow even     10     (far).