First rehearsal for Spring Festival gala

THE annual Spring Festival gala by China Central Television (CCTV) for 2008 held its first dress rehearsal Saturday.

Although the Chinese lunar New Year is just around the corner, the final program schedule is still undecided. All performers are making great efforts to be chosen for the live gala live, scheduled for Feb. 6. Performers receiving the most applause will be assured of a spot in the program.

New faces in this year's gala include Wang Baoqiang, who became an overnight success in the film "A World Without Thieves" directed by Feng Xiaogang.

Dedema, a renowned singer from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, will also appear on stage.

"The song 'I Come From the Grasslands' represents me and the Inner Mongolian people. Wherever I go, I come from the grasslands. Audiences like the song, and this makes me happy," she said.

CCTV broadcast the Spring Festival gala in 1983 on the lunar New Year's Eve. The annual gala has become an important part of the Spring Festival for Chinese people at home and overseas.

(SD-Agencies)