Spring Festival Gala crew head to Xinjiang

The CCTV Spring Festival Gala is beginning preparations, despite the lunar new year still two months away. The production crew is venturing out of the CCTV studios, and choosing art troupes from outside Beijing.

Chief director Jin Yue escorts his team, which are the brains behind the Spring Festival Gala to Hetian, in the southern part of the Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region.

Ten programs performed by local art troupes there included song, dance, and children's plays.

A program called "The Party's Policy is Good!" expresses gratitude towards the Chinese Communist Party. The performance impresses the CCTV spring festival gala crew. Mingling with local troupes is part of the CCTV gala.

Jin Yue, chief director of Spring Festival Gala, said, "Opening the Gala to basic art troupes around the country is a principle of our crew. The other is "refreshing the contents". In 2007, a Tibetan dance thrilled the audience. This year, we would like to see more programs coming from different parts of China."

Crew members reveal they have seen many excellent candidates from Xinjiang. Some may end up being a part of the gala. The production crew will head to other parts of China to choose programs for the spectacle.