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Chinese 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.
Insights by Ground AI

53 Articles

Lean Right

Chinese startup robots made exhibitions of martial arts and dance during the annual event of the CTV Spring Festival

·Brazil
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Lean Right

Designed by the Chinese company Unitee, these "dancers robos" were, on Monday, February 16, the stars of the "Spring Gala" 2026, the country's most watched television show, broadcast on the occasion of the lunar New Year.

·Paris, France
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Lean Right

"Unitree Robotics" inspires at the Chinese Spring Festival Gala with Saltos and Kung-Fu. The reactions range from ridicule to vision.

·Berlin, Germany
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Benzinga broke the news in New York, United States on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
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