New faces at 2013 CCTV Spring Festival Gala

There are many newcomers to the gala this year, who've been attracting a lot of attention. Whether they can win the audience's hearts during the big night is something we'll have to wait and see. Our reporter Yuan Yani has gone behind the scenes to see if they're ready for the show.

"Different to previous years, the 2013 Spring Festival Gala features a lot of new faces, including pop diva Celine Dion, musician Yanni, dancers from Turkey and many more. Famous or not, everyone takes the performances very seriously."

The biggest surprise at the grand gala should be this one.

International pop diva Celine Dion will perform at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Besides singing her classic "My Heart Will Go On" from the blockbuster movie "Titanic," Celion Dion will also sing a duet version of the traditional Chinese classic "Jasmin Flower" with Chinese folk diva Song Zuying.

Dion is just one of several foreign artists, and the first international megastar, to be invited onto the center stage of China's most important annual gala.

Another new face at the gala is pianist and music producer Yanni. He is no stranger to Chinese audiences. In 1997, Yanni became the first Western artist to perform at the Forbidden City in Beijing. Now he's back again, and this time, to perform on the stage of CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

Traditional and folk are not the only types of dances that will be performed on stage at the gala this year.

Fire of Anatolia, known as one of the best dance groups in the world, has come all the way from Turkey for the Spring Festival Gala. Though the group members have travelled all around the world, dancing at the Spring Festival Gala will be a totally new experience for them.

Besides the famous, rising stars are also in the spotlight.

Ping An, Xu Yina and Apusasa, the winners of the "Spring Festival Gala Express" contest, will be appearing on stage for the first time.

Hugely popular comedian Guo Degang will also be making an appearance at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. He will make his gala debut at 11pm. The details of the skit will be kept a secret until the big show, but Guo has hinted that it deals with a subject that has universal relevance and appeal.

CCTV's Spring Festival Gala is known to virtually every Chinese person across the globe. It's held every year to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year and is broadcast live to the world on New Year's Eve. But the jury remains out on whether our newcomers can stir the emotions and the applause of our gala audience.