国内英语新闻:Senior leader visits festival gala performers

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leader Li Changchun Monday visited performers and producers of China Central Television's Spring Festival gala during their rehearsal.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, extended new year greetings to the crew.

Li Changchun (front R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, shakes hands with actors at the rehearsal of the Spring Festival Gala Evening at China Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing, China, Jan. 31, 2011.

He hoped an excellent show will be presented on the eve of the Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 3.

The annual Lunar New Year gala celebration started in the 1980s. Since then, it has been the most popular TV event, attracting a major portion of China's 1.3 billion population each year.