From traditional Lunar New Year festivities to cutting-edge technology, and from diverse cultural performances to poetic artistic expressions, the Hefei branch venue of China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala captivated national attention as the grand finale among four regional venues.

The Hefei segment uniquely integrated frontier scientific achievements—including deep space exploration, fusion energy, and quantum information—into its stage performances, creating a refreshing viewer experience. Shi Yigong, President of Westlake University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, praised the segment for transforming sophisticated technology into publicly accessible innovation through artistic presentation. He noted that Hefei, as a hub of scientific advancement, represents China’s transition from following global trends to leading in research. “With Westlake University enrolling undergraduate students in Anhui for the first time this year, we have witnessed the remarkable innovative potential and talent pool in this region,” Shi remarked. “The blend of technology with Anhui’s cultural charm reveals an innovative China that is both deeply rooted and boldly forward-looking.”

Li Bin, founder, chairman, and CEO of NIO Inc., expressed that the nation saw Anhui and Hefei’s future-oriented innovative spirit and achievements through the gala. By 2025, Anhui ranked first nationally in automobile production, new energy vehicle output, and annual vehicle exports. The region has demonstrated strong industrial synergy, breakthroughs in core technologies, and a stream of high-end product launches, significantly boosting industrial competitiveness. Hefei has become the city with the largest scale and strongest growth momentum in China’s new energy vehicle sector, showcasing the rapid ascent of the country’s smart electric vehicle industry. Li stated that NIO is proud to grow in such a dynamic environment and will continue to advance with local support, delivering leading smart electric mobility experiences to users and co-creating a sustainable future.

Liu Yong, a professor and doctoral advisor at Fudan University’s School of Journalism, highlighted that the Hefei segment succeeded in making advanced technology “speak” and conveyed the city's self-understanding. He was particularly impressed by the “Amazing Pupil of Anhui” segment, where lighting evoked emotion and melody guided imagery, offering audiences an immersive experience of “technology as culture.” According to Liu, when a city shifts from proclaiming its achievements to allowing technology and culture to resonate naturally with viewers, it achieves communication success.

The inclusion of a Hefei branch venue also drew enthusiastic responses from overseas Chinese. Zhou Yi, Artistic Director of the Italy Soong Ching Ling Foundation and President of the Italy-China Friendship International Cultural Exchange Association, shared that watching familiar Anhui cultural elements on screen moved him to tears and filled him with pride. The most striking aspect, he noted, was the harmonious integration of historical culture and modern technology, presenting “a brand-new Anhui” to the world.