Multiple humanoids (human-shaped robots) will take the stage at Chunwan (春晚), China's biggest Lunar New Year gala program. A total of four Chinese robot corporations are set to demonstrate their technology on a state-level broadcast. As various humanoid products join the Chunwan stage again this year following last year, they are expected to showcase more advanced movements and technology than before.
According to Chinese business outlet Caixin and the state-run Global Times on the 30th, China Media Group (CMG), which oversees Chunwan production, selected four robot companies as official partners ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday broadcast next month.
Chunwan is a cultural event representing the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival (春节), and first aired in 1983. In China, families customarily gather at home to watch Chunwan together during the holiday. Chunwan has also served as a platform for the government to convey the direction of future industries to the public by staging national initiatives such as reform and opening, space development, and poverty eradication.
For this reason, being designated an official Chunwan partner carries meaning that goes beyond a simple TV appearance. Because it offers a stage viewed by more than 1 billion people, it is not only a chance to raise public awareness but also a Critical opportunity to build references that demonstrate technological credibility for future projects in the public institutional sector or state-owned corporations.
The first company to showcase humanoid technology at this year's Chunwan is Unitree (宇树科技). This is the third collaboration with Chunwan, and last year's humanoid performance generated significant buzz. According to the Global Times, a Unitree official said, "This year's performance will go beyond simple dancing or somersaults to feature moves on par with acrobatics."
Unitree first made its name with quadruped robots and recently expanded into humanoids. It drew attention by demonstrating "humanoid martial arts" at various tech expos in China and at events such as CES 2026 in the United States. Unitree is building real-world use cases, including supporting sporting events and applying robots to exhibition and logistics sites, and is currently preparing for an initial public offering (IPO).
Beijing-based robotics specialist Galbot (银河通用) will participate as a partner for "embodied AI robots." Galbot is operating a "robot salesperson" service at tourist spots such as the Summer Palace in Beijing, Wangfujing, and Chunxi Road in Chengdu. Robots serve customers at counters in place of people, handing over products and providing drinks. In logistics warehouses across China, they perform autonomous picking and packing. The company recently raised more than $300 million (about 431.3 billion won), and its valuation is estimated at $3 billion (about 4.314 trillion won).
Noetix (松延动力), which is pushing a "cost-effectiveness" strategy, will also participate. Noetix is targeting the home education and experience market with its small humanoid "Bumi (小布米)," 94 centimeters tall and weighing 12 kilograms, priced at 9,998 yuan (about 2.07 million won). It secured a mass production base by raising a total of 500 million yuan (about 103.6 billion won) in October–November last year.
Magiclab (魔法原子), the final participant, is focusing on industrial site applications. Founded in January 2024 as a startup corporation, the company's humanoid "Magic Bot" can be trained to perform material transport, parts picking, and scanning tasks on factory production lines. Magiclab is also developing a quadruped robot that operates in extreme weather conditions.
Citing Zhao Mingguo, head of the Tsinghua University Robot Control Laboratory, the Global Times said, "Unitree has world-class humanoid motion control algorithms," and "Magiclab has independently developed more than 90% of its core hardware, including joint modules, robot hands, and reducers, and adopted a dual structure that separates the 'brain,' which handles complex task planning, from the 'cerebellum,' which handles real-time motion control." On Galbot, it assessed that the company "pioneered a training pipeline that combines simulation data with small amounts of real-world data."
However, some say that evaluation of humanoid technology should focus on whether it can be applied beyond performances to industrial sites. Chinese tech outlet 36kr noted, "Unitree's performance at the 2025 Chunwan set the capital market ablaze, and many corporations jumped into competition for this year's Chunwan stage, but audience reactions are gradually dulling. As scenes of robots running, dancing, and somersaulting repeat, the assessment that 'they are ultimately big toys' is gaining traction," adding, "the decisive turning point will be on the industrial site."