With more than 700 million viewers on average every year, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala is the most watched television event in the world, and has been an integral part of Chinese New Year celebrations since it began in 1983.

The gala will include singing, dancing, cross-talk dialogues, mini dramas, martial arts and opera performances. Various talent show winners will also make appearances. Well-known comedy film director Feng Xiaogang is the general director of this year’s gala. It’s the first time the show has been headed up by someone outside of CCTV. And many are looking for him to bring a fresh injection of energy to the night.

One of the new director’s first changes has been to reduce the number of comedy performances from the typical 10, to just five. Although comedies are an audience favorite, Feng Xiaogang hopes to keep people laughing with fewer performances of higher quality.

And, to draw in younger viewers, the director also invited South Korean pop star Lee Min-ho to the 2014 gala. Lee’s concerts regularly sell out in China and have even been known to cause traffic jams.

Also adding to the international flavor of this year’s show is renowned French actress Sophie Marceau. Hailed as "the rose of France", Marceau has won the hearts of movie-goers in Europe and China with performances in such films as Fanfan, Braveheart, and the 1999 James Bond thriller The World Is Not Enough.

The former "Bond girl" will take the CCTV stage for the first time Thursday night, to perform a duet with Chinese singer Liu Huan of the famous French song La Vie En Rose.

With everyone from international movie stars to local comedians ready to put their talents on show, the 2014 CCTV Spring Festival Gala is shaping up to be one of the best yet.