Among the fashions on show was the traditional white wedding dress popular with brides in Western countries, Maoist attire, and traditional Chinese wedding clothing.

Xu Sennian, 89, and his wife Hu Shuying, 79, were the oldest couple featured and wore traditional Chinese wedding clothes. Hu was carried onto the stage in a traditional Chinese wedding sedan with Xu walking proudly alongside, seemingly defying his years.

"Life today is much better than it used to be. I never thought that one day I could perform at the local Spring Festival gala and today is genuinely one of the happiest days in my life," said Xu, who married his wife in 1957.

Another highlight of the show was the performance by villagers from Weigan in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The performance involved songs played with traditional instruments and Uygur dancing in ethnic clothing.

One of the villagers involved was Subinur Omar, 20, a farmer from Weigan village in Kuche county. Her family farms cotton, wheat and walnuts in the autonomous region.

Omar considers herself a dance enthusiast and she often attends cultural events to celebrate important festivals. She is a frequent visitor to a cultural hall in her county which receives funding from the Ningbo government and is the reason for the close cultural links between the two areas.

The performers from Xinjiang involved villagers with a wide range of ages, with the youngest aged just 17, and the oldest aged 74.

The entire gala was performed over two and a half hours to a sell-out crowd who enthusiastically applauded each performance. Members of the audience waved glow sticks, sang along to the music, and sounded clackers to show their appreciation for each of the performances; marking the start of celebrations for the Year of the Rooster.

Xu Sennian (C) walks next to a traditional sedan carrying his wife at a Spring Festival gala held in Xiaqiao village, Ninghai county of Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, Jan 17, 2017. [Photo by Qin Jirong/chinadaily.com.cn]