Athens, Greece - Jan 17, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Backdrop of reception held in Chinese Embassy in Greece
2. Officials exchange greetings
3. Guests at reception
4. Various of promotional video of 2025 CMG Spring Festival Gala being played at reception; guests watching
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Yu Shuxian, overseas Chinese (ending with shot 6):
"I think this promotional video is very good. I would expect a lot of technological effects and elements in the gala. This year, I will invite my friends over again to make dumplings and watch the Spring Festival Gala together at my home, which, I think, will be a lot of fun."
6. Promo video being played
7. Various of traditional Chinese music, martial arts, dance performance in progress; guests watching

Kiev, Ukraine - Jan 17, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of officials addressing reception held in Chinese Embassy in Ukraine
9. Guests at reception
10. Various of promotional video of 2025 CMG Spring Festival Gala being played at reception; guests watching

Hamburg, Germany - Jan 18, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Hall ceiling, gala celebrating Chinese New Year in progress
12. Promotional video of 2025 CMG Spring Festival Gala being played
13. Various of dance, chorus performance in progress
14. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Gala performers:
"Happy New Year to everyone! Wish you all good fortune, Happy New Year, and good luck in the Year of the Snake!"
15. Audience applauding

A promotional video of the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, a grand Chinese Lunar New Year celebration presented by China Media Group (CMG), was screened at various cultural events to mark the upcoming festival in European countries including Greece, Ukraine and Germany.

The Chinese embassies in Greece and Ukraine held receptions last Friday to mark the assumption of office of the new Chinese ambassador to the host country and to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, marking the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

At the receptions, the promotional video of the gala was screened and colorful cultural performance was staged, captivating the audience in attendance.

"I think this promotional video is very good. I would expect a lot of technological effects and elements in the gala. This year, I will invite my friends over again to make dumplings and watch the Spring Festival Gala together, which, I think, will be very significant," said Yu Shuxian, an overseas Chinese in Athens, Greece.

In Germany, attendees of cultural events held in Hamburg and Gottingen also watched the promotional video and said they eagerly look forward to enjoying the gala on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year on January 28.

The gala, also known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, has been broadcast live annually on the Chinese New Year's Eve since 1983, and has been seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional Lunar New Year celebrations in China.

The 2025 Spring Festival gala will be the first edition since the Spring Festival's successful inclusion on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

For Chinese people, the gala has evolved beyond a mere television show. It represents a nationally shared experience, a collective memory, and its evolution is in many ways representative of China's wider technological growth and social development.