Chinese new year gala on culture to be broadcast overseas

BEIJING -- A new genre of Chinese new year gala exclusively featuring China's traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage will be broadcast overseas.

The gala, which features "a long journey of Chinese culture," will be in Mandarin and aired by state broadcasters in 48 countries during the Chinese new year holiday season, also known as Spring Festival, according to the gala's director Zhang Lu.

Viewers are expected to be wowed Peking opera, calligraphy, shadow puppet shows, paper cutting, a tea-making ceremony and Chinese folk music, the director said.

The Chinese new year of 2018 -- the Year of Dog -- starts on Feb 16. Most Chinese have a weeklong holiday starting from the Chinese new year's eve.