Cloud Computing Featured in China's Spring Festival Gala
China’s Spring Festival Gala integrates cloud computing technology into its production.
TroibNews 
The emergence of China's AI model, DeepSeek, has attracted considerable attention due to its innovative and resource-efficient AI development strategies. Concurrently, this year's Spring Festival Gala exhibited an impressive blend of traditional artistry and modern technology, captivating audiences worldwide.
The Spring Festival Gala set a new record with a total reach of 16.8 billion across various media platforms, as it integrated high-tech solutions to facilitate a smooth, stable broadcast globally while celebrating traditional art forms, according to China Media Group on Tuesday.
Among the highlights were the integration of technologies such as ultra-high definition, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, 3D vision, and 3D audio. These advanced technological features were employed for the first time in the Gala's over 40-year history. The performances also included AI-powered humanoid robots for dancing, drone matrices for aerial displays, and electric vehicles for light shows.
One of the evening's standout performances was the robot dance titled "Yangge Bot." Directed by the acclaimed 5th-generation filmmaker Zhang Yimou and in collaboration with leading robotics firm Unitree, the performance showcased 16 humanoid robots alongside 16 human dancers, performing the traditional Yangko dance, a lively folk art form from Northeast China, thereby merging cultural heritage with modern technology.
The humanoid robots, part of Unitree's H1 series launched in August 2023, stand 1.8 meters tall and weigh 47 kilograms. Their debut performance on the Spring Festival Gala stage occurred just over a year after their release. The robots previously appeared at the NVIDIA GTC conference in 2024.
To ensure a flawless performance, the robots underwent three months of rigorous "rehearsal," during which their movements were meticulously choreographed to meet dance requirements through AI training. They utilized laser SLAM technology for precise positioning and coordinated formation changes, successfully tackling challenges like stage floor gaps.
Unitree completed its initial commercial delivery of the H1 series in October 2023, with each robot priced around 650,000 yuan. In May 2024, the company unveiled the G1 series, which stands at 1.27 meters tall and weighs approximately 35 kilograms, starting at a price of 99,000 yuan.
This marked a return for Unitree's robots to the Spring Festival Gala stage; they previously danced alongside Andy Lau in 2021.
Another captivating segment featured the martial arts performance titled "The Pen Writes the Dragon and Snake," inspired by Li Bai's poem "A Ballad of Cursive Script." This performance celebrated the fluid elegance of calligraphy, likening its strokes to the movements of a dragon and a snake. Starring Donnie Yen, the acts were recorded using a 30-camera array, capturing breathtaking acrobatic moments as dancers were elevated into the air. The "bullet-time" effect, made possible with 3D vision AI algorithms, real-time 3D point cloud rendering, and intelligent virtual camera techniques, allowed for a unique perspective of the dancers suspended mid-air. This technology, powered by Alibaba Cloud, was employed for the first time in the Spring Festival Gala, creating a viewing experience unattainable by conventional cameras.
The gala also incorporated AI-generated content technologies driven by Alibaba's Qwen AI model, enhancing stage performances with visually striking effects. For instance, during the "A Flower Nurtured by Time" performance, stage visuals transformed into static oil paintings. AIGC animation generation models were harnessed to develop distinctive characters, environmental backgrounds, and scene elements for musical performances, offering viewers a novel and imaginative experience.
On Wednesday, the company launched a new version of its Qwen 2.5 AI model, which it asserts surpasses the highly praised DeepSeek-V3.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Spring Festival Gala set a new record with a total reach of 16.8 billion across various media platforms, as it integrated high-tech solutions to facilitate a smooth, stable broadcast globally while celebrating traditional art forms, according to China Media Group on Tuesday.
Among the highlights were the integration of technologies such as ultra-high definition, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, 3D vision, and 3D audio. These advanced technological features were employed for the first time in the Gala's over 40-year history. The performances also included AI-powered humanoid robots for dancing, drone matrices for aerial displays, and electric vehicles for light shows.
One of the evening's standout performances was the robot dance titled "Yangge Bot." Directed by the acclaimed 5th-generation filmmaker Zhang Yimou and in collaboration with leading robotics firm Unitree, the performance showcased 16 humanoid robots alongside 16 human dancers, performing the traditional Yangko dance, a lively folk art form from Northeast China, thereby merging cultural heritage with modern technology.
The humanoid robots, part of Unitree's H1 series launched in August 2023, stand 1.8 meters tall and weigh 47 kilograms. Their debut performance on the Spring Festival Gala stage occurred just over a year after their release. The robots previously appeared at the NVIDIA GTC conference in 2024.
To ensure a flawless performance, the robots underwent three months of rigorous "rehearsal," during which their movements were meticulously choreographed to meet dance requirements through AI training. They utilized laser SLAM technology for precise positioning and coordinated formation changes, successfully tackling challenges like stage floor gaps.
Unitree completed its initial commercial delivery of the H1 series in October 2023, with each robot priced around 650,000 yuan. In May 2024, the company unveiled the G1 series, which stands at 1.27 meters tall and weighs approximately 35 kilograms, starting at a price of 99,000 yuan.
This marked a return for Unitree's robots to the Spring Festival Gala stage; they previously danced alongside Andy Lau in 2021.
Another captivating segment featured the martial arts performance titled "The Pen Writes the Dragon and Snake," inspired by Li Bai's poem "A Ballad of Cursive Script." This performance celebrated the fluid elegance of calligraphy, likening its strokes to the movements of a dragon and a snake. Starring Donnie Yen, the acts were recorded using a 30-camera array, capturing breathtaking acrobatic moments as dancers were elevated into the air. The "bullet-time" effect, made possible with 3D vision AI algorithms, real-time 3D point cloud rendering, and intelligent virtual camera techniques, allowed for a unique perspective of the dancers suspended mid-air. This technology, powered by Alibaba Cloud, was employed for the first time in the Spring Festival Gala, creating a viewing experience unattainable by conventional cameras.
The gala also incorporated AI-generated content technologies driven by Alibaba's Qwen AI model, enhancing stage performances with visually striking effects. For instance, during the "A Flower Nurtured by Time" performance, stage visuals transformed into static oil paintings. AIGC animation generation models were harnessed to develop distinctive characters, environmental backgrounds, and scene elements for musical performances, offering viewers a novel and imaginative experience.
On Wednesday, the company launched a new version of its Qwen 2.5 AI model, which it asserts surpasses the highly praised DeepSeek-V3.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
