International stars stud Spring Festival galas

TV viewers may have noticed that this year's galas, from central to local, are all going international: China Central Television invited pop diva Celion Dion; Shanghai-based Dragon TV had Psy, the most popular South Korean figure of 2012; and Hunan and Anhui TV station got classical crossover soprano Sarah Brightman.

International pop diva Celine Dion performed at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Besides singing her classic "My Heart Will Go On" from the blockbuster movie "Titanic," Celion Dion also sang 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 center stage of China's most important annual gala.

Another foreign face at the gala is pianist and music producer Yanni. But he is certainly a familiar face to Chinese audiences. In 1997, Yanni was the first Western artist to perform at the Forbidden City in Beijing. Now he's back again.

CCTV is not the only station which invited foreign stars. South Korean rapper Psy joined the Shanghai Spring Festival TV Gala on Dragon TV. The 36 year old rapper made a spectacular entrance to the show and performed his mega-hit "Gangnam Style" with dancing robots.

Meanwhile, classical crossover star Sarah Brightman sang her hit song Scarborough Fair at Hunan Anhui TV for their Chinese New Year special programmes. All the TV stations have played their best card to win as more viewers as possible.

Those are just a few of the big names who appeared in recent Chinese galas. While viewers praised producers' efforts to put on a great show, they also questioned the reliance on international stars, especially if they required hefty fees. Some raised the question why the galas of today must depend on foreign stars to be a hit.