Huang Yihe

Huang Yihe (

Huang was born in April 1934 in Shenyang, Liaoning, China.^[2] In 1949, he enlisted in the People's Liberation Army as a military entertainer. A year later, his unit was dispatched to North Korea to perform for Chinese troops fighting in the Korean War. After his entertainment unit was disbanded, he was discharged from the military and assigned to work for China Central Television.^[3]

In the early 1980s, Huang proposed the idea of hosting a televised party to celebrate the

After the first New Year Gala proved a huge hit with viewers nationwide, Huang was tasked with directing the second edition in 1984. At the time, China and Britain were under intense negotiation over the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the status of Hong Kong. Huang came up with the idea of inviting the amateur Hong Kong singer Cheung Ming-man to perform at his show.^[2] It was then unprecedented for a Hong Kong entertainer to perform on Chinese TV and his request met significant resistance. Huang persistently lobbied government officials and eventually gained their approval. Cheung's performance of the patriotic song "My Chinese Heart" at the 1984 gala made him a household name in China.^[2][3]

Huang went on to direct three more editions of the New Year's Gala, in 1985, 1986, and 1990.^{[citation needed]} The annual show has since become a new tradition for Chinese New Year.^{[citation needed]} The program is now the most-watched TV show in the world, with a billion viewers in 2018.^[1]

Huang died on 8 April 2019 in Beijing, at the age of 85.^[3]

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