The Spring Festival Gala (春节联欢晚会) has always been a stage for spectacle, but this year it doubled as a showroom for humanoid robots. At the centre of the broadcast was a crew of highly mobile robots that flipped off walls, spun around, and struck kung fu poses with near-human precision. The result was a show stolen.
Multiple Chinese robotics firms, including the famed Unitree Robotics (宇树科技) – which stunned the world with its tech at the World AI Conference in spring 2025 – used the moment to showcase just how far the category has come. Some of the routines took place alongside humans, and in many cases the movements were nearly identical.
- #机器人全面入侵春晚# (Lit. robots have fully invaded the Spring Festival Gala) climbed into the top spots on Weibo’s hot search list.
That’s a marked improvement from last year’s gala. Then, robots twirled handkerchiefs and moved about gingerly, looking unsure of their footing. Now they are executing complex, high-impact movements that require balance, coordination, and real-time responsiveness. It’s a shift from gimmick to capability – and one Beijing is no doubt keen to broadcast.
Viewership for the gala is not small. It’s already one of the most-watched TV events in the world, providing a vast audience for these kinds of theatrics. Online, clips of the performances are already trending on social media. #机器人全面入侵春晚# (Lit. robots have fully invaded the Spring Festival Gala) climbed into the top spots on Weibo’s hot search list.
But this isn’t just entertainment. It’s a projection of prowess. China is a leader in next-gen technologies, from AI to advanced manufacturing and – as we can see – robotics. The humanoid robots at the Spring Festival Gala aren’t so much performers as proof points.
There’s still a gap between stagecraft and real-world deployment. These routines are tightly controlled and rehearsed. What you saw on stage is miles away from the unpredictability of a home or a factory floor. But with the speed these machines are improving, it’s unlikely you’ll have to wait long before you’ve got a kung-fu robot defending your front door.
