Humanoid Robot Dancing on Chinese Broadcast, Wearing Matching Clothes and Effortlessly Performing Difficult Moves

Directed by Renowned Film Director Zhang Yimou
Showcasing Advanced Moves Such as Throwing and Catching Handkerchiefs

A humanoid robot performing a synchronized dance appeared at the Chinese state-run broadcaster's Spring Festival Gala, receiving applause from the audience.

On the 30th, Chinese-language media including the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the humanoid robot's group dance was the most praised performance at the Spring Festival Gala 'Chunwan' broadcast the previous day.

Chinese humanoid robot's Spring Festival Gala show 'Chunwan' performance. Screenshot from China Shangguan News, Yonhap News Agency

China Central Television (CCTV) aired the Spring Festival Gala 'Chunwan' live for five hours the previous night. Among about 50 programs, the standout was the stage featuring 16 humanoid robots performing alongside 16 human dancers. The robots and dancers, dressed in traditional costumes, performed the traditional northern Chinese folk dance 'Niu Yangge (??秧歌)'. The robots amazed the audience by flawlessly executing difficult moves such as throwing and catching handkerchiefs.

The performance, directed by world-renowned film director Zhang Yimou, famous for movies like 'Life', 'Raise the Red Lantern', and 'Red Sorghum', featured the 'H1' robot developed by Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics. The robots underwent three months of AI-based training.

Netizens reacted with comments like "The development speed of China's humanoid robots is too fast" and "It feels like science fiction movies are becoming reality."

Chinese Spring Festival Gala Show Chunwan. Screenshot from Chongqing Daily, Yonhap News Agency

First aired in 1983, CCTV's annual variety show Chunwan has become a cultural event representing the Spring Festival. In China, families gather every year during the Spring Festival to watch Chunwan together. This year's live broadcast of Chunwan recorded 2.817 billion views, an increase of 690 million from last year, setting an all-time record.

For the first time in its 42-year history, an American rock band appeared in the Chunwan performance, attracting attention. The American rock band OneRepublic performed their hit song "Counting Stars" in front of the historic pavilion Huanghelou in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. OneRepublic was quarantined in Wuhan during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and publicly expressed support for the lockdown measures at that time.

Unlike previous years, the origins of performers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau were not introduced in this year's performance. Regarding this, Chinese media responded, "We are all Chinese, so there is no need to distinguish."