(VIDEO) China’s Humanoid Robots Steal Spotlight with Dazzling Kung Fu Performance at 2026 Spring Festival Gala

Humanoid robots from leading Chinese firms delivered a jaw-dropping martial arts spectacle during the annual Spring Festival Gala on Feb. 16, 2026, blending traditional kung fu with cutting-edge robotics in a high-energy routine that captivated hundreds of millions of viewers and underscored China’s rapid advances in embodied AI.

The performance, part of the China Media Group’s (CMG) four-hour broadcast marking the start of the Lunar New Year — the Year of the Fire Horse — featured dozens of robots executing synchronized stunts, backflips, weapon handling and sparring alongside young human martial artists from Henan’s Tagou Martial Arts School. Not a single robot faltered, even during complex sequences involving nunchucks, staffs, swordplay, Drunken Fist and rapid formation changes at speeds up to 3 meters per second.

Unitree Robotics stole much of the show with its G1 and H2 models, achieving what the company called the world’s first fully autonomous humanoid robot swarm martial arts performance. Upgrades including triangular LiDAR sensors, dexterous hands and over 90% motion-learning accuracy enabled precise, expressive moves and seamless recovery from perturbations. The robots performed Liuhe Fist, staff sparring, nunchaku routines and even wall-assisted flips and aerial acrobatics in real time, far surpassing the simpler handkerchief-twirling displays of Unitree bots at the 2025 gala.

Other firms contributed: Noetix Robotics’ Bumi models joined a comedy sketch, MagicLab humanoids danced in a musical segment with panda-suited robotic dogs, and additional companies showcased synchronized choreography. The collaboration highlighted Beijing’s push to integrate robotics into manufacturing, services and entertainment amid rising labor costs and a shrinking workforce.

Experts noted the leap in capabilities. Fluid joint movements, real-time coordination and fault-tolerant balance marked significant progress over 2025’s more scripted routines. Analysts see it as a showcase of China’s industrial ambition, with Morgan Stanley projecting humanoid robot sales in China to more than double to 28,000 units in 2026. Elon Musk has repeatedly cited Chinese firms as Tesla’s biggest rival in embodied AI as it develops Optimus.

The gala, watched by an estimated billion-plus audience domestically and millions globally via clips on YouTube, Instagram and X, sparked viral reactions. Viewers praised the “creepily impressive” agility, with comments like “fascinating to see robots learn Chinese traditional martial arts” and comparisons to sci-fi films. Some expressed awe at the fusion of heritage and technology, while others pondered future implications for labor and society.

The event aligns with China’s broader robotics strategy, emphasizing high-coordination swarm control for real-world applications like multi-robot dispatching in factories or disaster response. Unitree described the show as a “future martial arts academy” concept, laying groundwork for dynamic, expressive humanoid interactions.

As clips circulated widely — one YouTube video garnering over 820,000 views in days — the performance reinforced China’s lead in humanoid robotics hardware and AI-driven motion. With the Lunar New Year festivities continuing through the week, the robots’ kung fu display remains a defining image of 2026’s technological celebration.