Performers prepare for the year's biggest show

According to their head coach, Zhou Yan, the team members have been practicing since their first day at the university without even taking winter or summer vacations and resting only five days a year.

Zhou says it took the whole team a long time to build trust in one another.

"When the person at the top puts her life in the hands of those standing on the floor, there is little else but trust," says Zhou.

Zhou is a professor at East China Normal University and was once head coach of the national cheerleading squad. She has led the university's team since its inception in 2007, racking up more than 100 world championship titles and over 400 national championships in cheerleading and aerobics competitions.

Members of the cheerleading team touched the audience with their vitality and passion, while a group of young men from Oriental Wrestling Entertainment gained a ticket with their muscle strength.

They combined their professional wrestling skills with kung fu, presenting the spirit of sports. Described as "the most masculine boy band" by the host of the show, the team, whose oldest member is 21 years old, is ready to perform on Lunar New Year's Eve.

Not everyone was able to clear the final hurdle, though. Zhang Keying made it to the final with her performance of the song, Hua Mulan, but wasn't able to secure one of the nine spots at the gala. Her show combined traditional Chinese culture with modern music.

Zhang is the daughter of popular actress Zhang Kaili, but she was keen to downplay the fact and compete on her own strengths.

She will be among the other finalists who did not get the invitation to the Spring Festival Gala and will, instead, perform their shows at Lantern Festival on Feb 19.

Recognized by the Guinness World Records, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala has the largest TV audience of any entertainment show in the world.

Last year's edition attracted more than 1 billion viewers worldwide, and those who perform at the gala often emerge as household names in China.