US EditionChinese Humanoid Robots Perform Kung Fu at World's Most-Watched TV Gala
Unitree Robotics showcased multiple world-first autonomous kung fu moves with over a dozen humanoid robots performing coordinated martial arts at China’s top Lunar New Year gala.
- On Monday at 8 p.m., the 2026 Spring Festival Gala aired as a multimedia event blending technology, ordinary people, and star performances, including Li Jian and Faye Wong.
- As a long-running ritual, Chunwan serves as a modern symbol of family reunion and cultural heritage, launched to provide a shared festive experience and broadcast live since 1983.
- Demonstrations included technically ambitious robot routines as four rising humanoid start-ups — Unitree Robotics, Galbot, Noetix and MagicLab — showcased robots, with Unitree performing martial arts and Bytedance's AI chatbot Doubao opening the program.
- Pre-New Year events extended Chunwan's reach to the U.S., Russia, France, Italy and Africa, with imagery on landmarks from London to Auckland, while millions still watch the gala together; CCTV drew 79 percent of live TV viewership in China last year.
- China's industry context shows it accounted for 90 percent of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally last year and the gala highlights an AI+ manufacturing strategy with high-level visibility as Unitree founder met President Xi Jinping.
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Chinese AI robots demonstrated kung fu skills that stunned the world. This is a scene from China's Spring Festival Gala.
When robots outshine humans, I have to ask: Are we ready?
If you tuned in to China’s 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala looking for traditional lion dances and nostalgic tunes, you may have done a double-take when what greeted you was a squad of humanoid robots performing kung fu, synchronized moves, and comedy sketches with more precision than most of us manage during family reunions. It […] This story continues at The Next Web
China showcases humanoid robots at its Spring Festival Gala with kung fu routines for a mass audience
China put humanoid robots front and centre at its Spring Festival Gala —the country’s biggest annual television event— featuring a choreographed martial-arts routine with traditional weapons such as swords and nunchucks, acrobatics and tightly synchronised sequences alongside human performers.
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