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Chinese New Year

CCTV Plays It Safe With This Year’s Official Spring Festival Mascot

What will this year’s official Chinese Spring Festival mascot be? After last year’s controversy, CCTV has kept it safe and traditional for this year’s Rooster zodiac mascot.
Manya Koetse

Published

10 years ago

on

What will this year’s official Chinese New Year’s mascot be? After last year’s controversy, CCTV has kept it safe and traditional for this year’s Rooster zodiac mascot.

The launch of this year’s 2017 Rooser mascot is much different than that of last year’s Money mascot.

On January of 2016, China’s state broadcaster CCTV revealed its official Spring Festival Gala (or Chinese New Year) mascot for 2016: the colorful monkey called Kang Kang. But…

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Manya Koetse

Manya Koetse is a sinologist, writer, and public speaker specializing in China’s social trends, digital culture, and online media ecosystems. She founded What’s on Weibo in 2013 and now runs the Eye on Digital China newsletter. Learn more at manyakoetse.com or follow her on X, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

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China Memes & Viral

Spring Festival Trend Watch: Gala Highlights, Small-City Travel, and the Mazu Ritual Controversy

Some stories going viral during the holiday season seem to exist in a recurring social cycle of their own.

Manya Koetse

Published

7 months ago

on

February 22, 2026

By

🔥 China Trend Watch (week 8 | 2026) Part of Eye on Digital China by Manya Koetse, China Trend Watch is an overview of what’s trending and being discussed on Chinese social media. The previous newsletter was a chapter dive into the story of China’s latest hospital scandal. This edition was sent to paid subscribers — subscribe to receive the next issue in your inbox.

One Shanghai woman was so disappointed by what…

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Chinese New Year

Inside Chunwan 2026: China’s Spring Festival Gala

Watch the CGM Spring Festival Gala with us. It’s that special annual evening show that captures millions of viewers on the night of the Chinese New Year. Loved by many, hated by some, it always generates social media buzz.
Manya Koetse

Published

7 months ago

on

February 16, 2026

By

🔴 This liveblog is complimentary today:. Support us and get future newsletters in your inbox by subscribing on the main site or Substack (same content), or buy us a cup of tea 🍵

Watch the CGM Spring Festival Gala with us. It’s that special annual evening show that captures millions of viewers on the night of the Chinese New Year. Loved by many, hated by some, it always generates social media buzz. We’ll bring…

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