Spring Festival galas lure international stars

The CCTV Spring Festival Gala will be aired on February 9 to celebrate Chinese New Year. This Saturday's extravaganza will feature Canadian singer Celine Dion, who is poised to become the biggest foreign star to perform on the show in its 30-year history. Other provincial TV stations such as Anhui Television and Hunan Television have also invited international celebrities to perform at their Spring Festival galas.

Meanwhile, veteran comedian Zhao Benshan announced he has quit the CCTV Spring Festival Gala after 21 consecutive years. The rise of international stars and departure of traditional Chinese performers from the galas has stirred heated debate among Web users.

@Media Lao Wang (media analyst): International superstars are coming to the Spring Festival gala for money. CCTV invited Celine Dion, Shanghai's Dragon TV has Psy and Anhui TV boasts Sarah Brightman. Does the Chinese entertainment industry really need to depend on foreign performers?

@Honghuang-ilook: We are accepting the leftovers of other countries as our main entrees.

@Stock-idler: Just like China's professional soccer and basketball leagues, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala is inviting "has-been" superstars like Celine Dion. This may sound corny, but I feel the Spring Festival Gala is like a plate filled with dumplings - simple, earthy, yet perfectly fitting in with Chinese New Year traditions. I'm not sure that greetings from foreigners in broken Chinese will satisfy viewers.

@Ethansenglishcafe: I'm not a New Year's gala fan to begin with, but it looks like Celine Dion will be singing "My Heart Will Go On" this year - a good reason to turn off your TV and maybe throw a chair at it to break it so the TV isn't accidentally turned on during the show. [I] hate that song...

@Tantianlundao (new media researcher): If it makes sense for Chinese youngsters to celebrate Christmas, why can't we make our Spring Festival gala more diversified and international? Many Chinese young people no longer watch the gala any more. If we don't change, it is out of the question that the tradition [of galas] will persist.

@Beijing Morning Post: Instead of vying for South Korean rapper Psy to perform at the Spring Festival gala, it is better to cultivate our own "Chinese Psy." The future of Chinese culture and galas is gloomy if the buzz surrounding Psy is the only means of promotion for TV stations.

@Southern Metropolis Daily: The [CCTV] gala could continue to play a dominant role in people's lives during Spring Festival, but changes should be made to avoid the abundance of stars on stage. Adapting the traditional festival to people's ever-changing aesthetic values and letting people of all classes enjoy the gala is the key for reforms.