Fun facts about China's Spring Festival Gala
关于春晚的趣料

今天是中国农历新年的除夕夜。对于13亿中国人来说，农历新年无疑是最重要的节日。尽管各地的庆祝活动各不相同，但几乎全中国的人民以及一些海外华人都会在除夕夜观看由中央电视台（CCTV）制作的春节联欢晚会。

As one of the most-watched programs in China, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala has been an integral part of the Chinese New Year rituals. From the television era to the digital age, people's expectations always run high for the event.
作为中国收视率最高的节目之一，央视春晚已成为中国新年庆典不可缺少的部分。从电视时代到数字时代，人们对春晚的期望总是很高。

Ahead of this year's gala, here are some trivia about the biggest television event in China, and also the world.
春晚是中国，也是全世界最盛大的电视节目，在今年晚会开始前，有一些关于春晚的冷知识了解一下。

Why CCTV Spring Festival Gala is important?
为什么央视春晚很重要？
The keyword in the Chinese New Year is "Hejiatuanyuan (family reunion)". Having a big family dinner with relatives on the eve is a must for New Year celebrations for almost every family. The annual Spring Festival Gala usually lasts over four hours, just in time when the Chinese people gather to have their festive dinner. Featuring musicals, dances, comic skits and dramas, the gala is aimed at entertaining viewers of all ages.
春节的关键词是“合家团圆”。几乎每个家庭都一定会在除夕夜和亲戚们一起吃一顿丰盛的家庭晚餐。每年的春晚通常持续四个多小时，正好是中国人聚在一起享受节日晚餐的时间。春晚以歌舞、喜剧小品和戏曲为主，旨在娱乐各个年龄段的观众。

Other fun facts you may not know
关于春晚，你可能不知道的其他趣料

The first CCTV Spring Festival Gala was live broadcast via television on February 12, 1983. However, not all Chinese people owned a TV set then or had a chance to watch the show at home. The annual output of televisions was only 6.84 million and nearly 80 percent of families did not possess their own TV set, according to a Beijing Daily report.
第一届央视春晚于1983年2月12日通过电视直播。然而，当时在中国并不是人人都有电视机，或者能够在家里看春晚。据《北京日报》报道，当时电视年产量仅为684万台，近80%的家庭没有自己的电视机。