Beijing’s Spring Festival Gala has always mixed spectacle with messaging, but this year one thing stood out clearly: the robots.
During the annual broadcast on Spring Festival Gala, humanoid robots from Unitree Robotics flipped, kicked and recovered from mistakes alongside human martial artists. The performance looked far more advanced than last year’s routine and showed just how quickly China’s robotics industry is moving.
Unitree wasn’t alone. Several Chinese robotics firms used the stage to show what they can do. MagicLab sent humanoid robots dancing to patriotic pop songs, while Noetix Robotics unveiled androids designed to closely resemble real people. Beijing-based Galbot demonstrated everyday skills like folding clothes and cracking nuts.
AI also played a role. ByteDance used its Doubao chatbot to distribute digital red envelopes during the show, and said its Seedance video model helped generate visuals for several segments.
Online reaction came quickly. On Weibo, clips of the robots racked up millions of views. Some users praised the progress, while others complained the gala focused too much on machines and not enough on people.
State media framed the moment as more than entertainment. According to reports, robots featured during the show sold out on JD.com during the broadcast.
Behind the spectacle sits a bigger push. China already leads the world in industrial robot installations, and 2026 is shaping up as the year those machines move from novelty to everyday work.
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