On the evening of February 16, Lunar New Year’s Eve, Yiwu made a grand appearance as a sub-venue on the Spring Festival Gala stage.
The overall program used the image of a “feather” as its central motif, subtly embedding the allusion of “trading chicken feathers for sugar” into the visual language. It was transformed into scenes that could be seen, heard, and emotionally felt, allowing the resilience and perseverance of Yiwu’s grassroots entrepreneurs to reach the audience through poetic expression.
The camera began at Ximen Old Street, a site that carries memories of resistance against Japanese pirates, and then moved through a highland of faith in the pursuit of truth, picturesque villages depicting common prosperity, and ancient towns that showcase a millennium of cultural heritage. It then shifted to lively streets and alleys full of everyday life before finally focusing on the world-renowned Yiwu International Trade Market. Along the way, elements such as the China-Europe Railway Express (Yiwu–Xinjiang–Europe) and Hengdian World Studios in Dongyang were woven in, jointly presenting to the world a vivid, multi-dimensional image of a compassionate Yiwu, culturally rich Jinhua, a pioneering Zhejiang, and a confident, open China.
Looking Back at Yiwu’s Journey
“Yiwu sends New Year greetings to everyone!” With the greetings of hosts Guo Ruotian and He Chuan, the Yiwu sub-venue program officially opened on the stage of the Global Digital Trade Center.
Guided by the lightness of a feather, the program featured lanterns combining Yiwu’s Shangyang bead lights and the woodcarving craftsmanship of the Eight-Sided Hall of Huangshan, slowly lighting up the stage. As feathers floated out from the lanterns, the audience seemed to travel through a corridor of time: the ancient Da’an Temple Pagoda, modern CBD buildings, the bustling International Trade Market, and the majestic Jiming Pavilion. One after another, Yiwu’s city landmarks flashed by, outlining the city’s magnificent trajectory from history to modernity.
The scene then shifted to Ximen Old Street. As the narration of “trading chicken feathers for sugar and needles” echoed, a feather gently drifted down. International superstar Jackie Chan caught the feather and loudly called out, “Chicken feathers for sugar!” instantly igniting the enthusiasm of the crowd. Soon after, a group of peddlers carrying shoulder poles responded in unison, while children in new clothes joyfully shook their rattles. This segment symbolized how Yiwu shook up a global marketplace through the humble practice of “trading chicken feathers for sugar,” mirroring the vibrant vitality of the festive season.
Amid the lively atmosphere of the old street, Yiwu’s profound cultural heritage unfolded: sweet Yiwu brown sugar, the traditional Chinese medicine wisdom of Zhu Danxi culture, the melodious Yiwu Daoqing folk art, and the century-old aroma of Jinhua ham. “Through highly distinctive local elements, we aimed to create a bustling and rewarding festive atmosphere,” noted Liu Xin, chief director of the Yiwu sub-venue for the Spring Festival Gala.
The Wuju opera “Yiwu Soldiers” then made a powerful entrance, with performers portraying the Yiwu troops of Qi Jiguang’s army, waving battle flags with great momentum. Actor Wu Yue, who once played a Qi Army general in the film God of War, rode onto the stage carrying the army’s banner amid fireworks. The crowd shouted in unison as warhorses neighed and weapons clanged. “The Yiwu Wuju performers truly brought the spirit of the Qi Army to life,” Liu Xin praised. “The bamboo weapons in their hands are not only the ‘king of cold weapons’ but also embody Yiwu’s ‘Six Virtues’ culture and the city’s upright and courageous spirit.”
Notably, actor Liu Ye, who portrayed Chen Wangdao in the film The Pioneer, also joined the villagers’ procession. His line, “The taste of happiness is very sweet!” formed a cross-temporal echo with the famous phrase, “The taste of truth is very sweet!”
Yiwu’s Digital Trade in Its Prime
Just as the audience was still immersed in Yiwu’s rich cultural montage, the scene shifted: new energy vehicles loaded with festive goods appeared, and the “World Supermarket” took the spotlight.
In the corridors of the International Trade Market, crowds surged and sounds roared like waves. The overlapping sounds of payment notifications, rapid product pitches by livestream hosts, and the tearing of packing tape created a dense auditory tapestry. “Choosing real Yiwu shop owners instead of actors was one of our most correct decisions,” said location director Li Xing. As the camera passed through the stalls, every shop owner was simply performing their authentic daily routine.
The real surprise lay in the market’s tech district. The words “New Zhejiang Specialty Products” dominated the screen as a 1.8-meter-tall “Mecha Wukong” was brought to the forefront. The iconic theme “Yun Gong Xun Yin,” deeply embedded in generations’ memories, burst onto the stage. A Sun Wukong robot somersaulted and leapt, then soared on a “cloud” that turned out to be a robotic dog. The robotic dog sprinted on four legs like flaming wheels, carrying the steel-bodied figure through the crowds of the trade market. In that moment, mythology and technology completed a silent handshake above Yiwu.
Robots roaming the streets, together with drones and intelligent equipment in the market, showcased the iterative upgrading of Yiwu’s marketplace. Here, the narrative is no longer just about small commodities but also about high-tech products rich in innovation, connecting the world through digital trade.
Seeing the World in Yiwu
One of the most striking visual anchors in the program was the “Window to the World.” Throughout the show, this symbolic window repeatedly opened: as the tea-picking dance began, AR-generated green tea leaves “grew” between the window frames; as the music reached its climax, a Yiwu–Xinjiang–Europe China-Europe freight train raced out from the “Window to the World,” with feathers lining both sides of the tracks. “This window symbolizes that Yiwu is China’s window to the world, and also the world’s window to China,” Liu Xin explained.
As the rhythmic sound of rattles rose, the Yiwu sub-venue’s largest “international foreshadowing” unfolded—two global superstars, Jackie Chan and Lionel Richie, broke through time and space to perform together. As the song reached its peak, the camera cut to Kazakhstan, Russia, Hungary, France, Spain, and other countries, where artists from different nations sang the same melody. On the main stage, six giant inflatable flowers slowly ascended: peony, orchid, rose, iris, pomegranate blossom, and sunflower—symbols of love and unity growing toward the sun and standing side by side. Musicians from around the world blended their instrumental sounds, while celebrities, industry representatives, and Chinese and foreign friends in Yiwu joined hands regardless of skin color or language. “We wanted to convey a shared destiny through this global celebration,” Liu Xin said.
Why Yiwu?
Creative director Wang Xing explained that Yiwu is home to more than 30,000 resident foreign merchants from over 100 countries and regions, where a dozen languages can be heard intertwining in the market at any time. The rattle was once a sales tool for “trading chicken feathers for sugar”; today, children of different ethnicities and skin colors shake it together. Singing this song in Yiwu is not a mere stacking of international elements—it is the city’s everyday life itself.
When drones formed the words “Affectionate and Righteous, World Yiwu” in the sky, fireworks shot up from both sides of the Global Digital Trade Center, illuminating the stage behind—a landmark with neither a beginning nor an end, symbolizing Yiwu’s cyclical and endless connection with the world.
In addition, the program’s rendition of “Tea-Picking Dance” was refreshing, with violin and guzheng—one Western, one Chinese—resonating harmoniously. Under the glow of distinctive lanterns, the painting Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains slowly unfolded, bringing the scenic beauty along the Fuchun River vividly to life. Dancers soared above a giant rattle, performing the graceful piece “Phoenix in Flight.” During the dragon lantern segment, villagers’ representatives from counties and cities across Zhejiang, including Dinghai, Lanxi, and Chun’an, gathered in Yiwu, symbolizing that on the path to common prosperity, “no one is left behind.” Yiwu elements, Zhejiang stories, and China’s outlook together composed a vivid “Zhejiang chapter” of Chinese modernization in the new era.
