STORY: Spring Festival gala brings joy to train passengers in China
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Jan. 28, 2025
LENGTH: 0:01:43
LOCATION: NANNING, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY/CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of a train station in China
2. various of activities on the train
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): Chinese passenger
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Chinese passenger
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): Chinese passenger
6. various of activities on the train
7. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): Chinese passenger

STORYLINE:

China is about to ring in the Year of the Snake on Jan. 29.

The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is a time for family reunions, festive traditions, and vibrant cultural and tourism activities.

On a train from Nanning, Guangxi, to Beijing, a special Spring Festival gala was held while passengers shared the joyful atmosphere.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): Chinese passenger
"I live away from my hometown, so every year when I return, I feel a deep sense of warmth-reuniting with family I haven't seen in over a year, making dumplings together, and having New Year's Eve dinner. These moments are so warm."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Chinese passenger
"(I love) making dumplings, getting New Year gifts and red envelopes. (What else can you do during the festival?) Setting off firecrackers, putting up Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, and watching the Spring Festival Gala."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): Chinese passenger
"I really love firecrackers because there's so much fun. There are all sorts of firecrackers, and there are different ways to play with them."

At the close of 2024, UNESCO added the Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year, to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Beneath its traditional customs, the Chinese New Year carries a universal resonance of hope, family unity and aspirations for a better life.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): Chinese passenger
"The Spring Festival has been passed down through generations from the ancient times and is an integral part of China's rich traditional culture.
Celebrating it helps boost cultural confidence and share Chinese culture with the world."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nanning, China.
(XHTV)