Dragon TV’s New Year’s Eve gala will air at 7:30 pm today to herald celebrations of the new year and inspire Chinese people to strive for a promising future.

The gala featuring a variety of performances, magnificent stage designs and high-tech elements, aims to pass on positive energy, show the country’s creativity and vigor, and pay attribute to ordinary people who work hard for a better life.

The event invites outstanding individuals from various walks of lives, such as a lead conductor of high-speed train, airline workers and medical workers, to share their personal stories of how they remain conscientious and diligent in their positions.

A group of soldiers stationed in China‘s Xisha Islands, South China Sea, join a chorus and tell stories about their daily lives on the islands, inspiring viewers with their strong patriotism and steadfast devotion to duty.

Dragon TV aims to spread such touching stories of Chinese people so as to encourage the public to embrace the coming year with love and hope.

“We tend to give the gala a warmer human touch,” says the gala’s director, Chen Hong. “The new year’s gala used to be a kind of carnival imbued with ineffable joy. This time, we hope to deliver a certain strength to our viewers.”

“I hope they could bid a farewell to those difficulties we faced in the passing year.”

The whole gala will be separated into three chapters which are respectively themed on “lighting up happiness”, “advancing on the future path” and “opening the door to a new year”. In the meantime, the overall ambience and the stage designs will change accordingly.

The application of extended reality (XR), glasses-free 3D, also known as autostereoscopy and some other frontier technologies is another highlight of the gala. Performers will feel like actually being in the virtual backdrop on stage and the viewers will have an immersive watching experience, says the director.

Dragon TV’s digital employee Dongfang Ai sporting a baby face, white skin and saccharine miles, will debut as a special member in the line-up of the gala’s hosts and also collaborate with pop idol Cheng Xiao in a singing performance.

Additionally, a video in which Chinese living in different cities around the world speak out loud their new year wishes for their family members and their motherland will be displayed in the gala.

The gala will also bring together pop singers and movie stars.