Grassroots gala goes viral

Adisi, a student from the Mongolian ethnic group and a senior at South-Central Minzu University, has participated as a creator in both the 2025 and 2026 galas.

In 2025, he made his debut by showcasing the culture of his hometown. He performed an original song featuring the morin khuur, or horsehead fiddle, Mongolian drums, and traditional Mongolian long song, evoking a wanderer's longing for the grasslands.

This year, after navigating the pressures of postgraduate entrance exams, Adisi decided to turn his creative focus inward. He wrote a trilingual song blending Mongolian, English, and Spanish to encourage fellow university students who are pursuing different paths and searching for direction in the future.

"In the song, I explored life's many possibilities and wanted to share one message in particular: no matter how the world tries to shape you, you should remain true to yourself," he said. "A peach tree should blossom peaches, and a rose should blossom roses."

In contrast to Adisi's reflective approach, Gao Shuotong's performances highlight another form of youth expression: an embrace of "abstract" humor and meme culture.

Gao, a student at Jilin University of Arts, performed an absurd and goofy dance with a friend at the 2025 gala — and plans to do something similar again this year. Their exaggerated routine sparked bullet comments such as,"Looks like these two don't care about staying in school anymore". Gao, however, was delighted that her act brought laughter to the audience.

That sense of acceptance is exactly what draws her to the event. "This platform is very inclusive and open," she said. "Everyone has their own ideas and the courage to express themselves, even when it means speaking hard truths."

She cited skits that poke fun at stolen food deliveries or the struggle of waking up for early classes, as well as performances addressing romance scams and anti-fraud awareness — all topics highly relevant to university students' everyday lives.

Fu agreed. According to him, the student gala stands in stark contrast to the mainstream Spring Festival Gala by offering decentralization and a high level of interactivity. Anyone can participate — there's no need to be a professional performer. Meanwhile, the thousands of real-time bullet comments create a vibrant online community where viewers can freely share their reactions.

There are also fewer cultural barriers. "Mainstream media often lags behind or becomes disconnected from youth culture," Fu explained."But our programs require no translation — the subcultures unique to young people reach them directly and precisely."

Gao said she invited her entire family to watch her performance last year. Although the elders didn't fully understand it, they still "treated it like a high-end major gala", she said. Her grandmother even excitedly showed it off to her friends, which filled Gao with pride and joy.