A screenshot of the New Year gala staged in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province on Dec 31. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

Taizhou, a coastal city in East China's Zhejiang province, welcomed the New Year with a spectacular gala organized by China Media Group (CMG) on the evening of Dec 31.

This marks the third consecutive year that Taizhou has been chosen as the host city for the gala, with the inaugural edition taking place in 2021. The gala was broadcasted live on various CCTV channels and local media platforms in Taizhou, attracting billions of viewers who joined together in celebrating the arrival of the New Year.

The selection of Taizhou as the host city is mainly due to the fact that Wenling, a county-level city within Taizhou, was the first place on the Chinese mainland to welcome the new millennium. The symbolism of light representing brightness and hope for the New Year adds an extra layer of significance to this choice.