春节联欢晚会 (Chūnjiéliánhuānwǎnhuì): CCTV New Year's Gala

Nicknamed 春晚. Broadcast live on CCTV every New Year's Eve since 1983 — the most-watched TV program in human history, drawing 700+ million viewers. Mix of song, dance, magic, acrobatics, and crosstalk (相声) skits; a Chinese New Year tradition as iconic as the dumplings.

usage

In conversation, nearly everyone shortens it to 春晚 (Chūnwǎn) — the full 4-word name appears mainly in official broadcasts and headlines.

In Pop Culture

小品 xiǎopǐn

comedy skit

The comedy skits on 春晚 are cultural events — catchphrases from skits by Zhao Benshan 赵本山, Chen Peisi 陈佩斯, and Shen Teng 沈腾 enter everyday Chinese for years after.