An expats learns Chinese calligraphy during a village Spring Festival gala held in Minle village, Gaoqiao town, Ningbo. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

A total of 1,282 galas have been staged recently across rural areas in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province since Jan 15 in celebration of the upcoming New Year, attracting 622,000 visitors in total, local media reported.

The galas were mostly directed by, choreographed by and starring local villagers and featured a variety of performances such as dancing, singing and cross talks.

This is the 12th year in a row that Qinfeng village in Jiangbei district has held its Spring Festival gala.

The village's Party head said that the gala offers a platform for villagers to show off their talent, confidence and optimism.

Minle village in Gaoqiao town also invited more than 20 expats from countries such as Russia, France and the Philippines.

An expat from Russia surnamed Alona gloated that he had learned how to write the Chinese character "福", meaning happiness, and can now send New Year's wishes to his family in Chinese.

A grassroots gala held in Cixi city in Ningbo was also streamed online and garnered 106,000 views.

According to local authorities, an additional 204 village galas are scheduled to be held across the city ahead of the Spring Festival, which falls on Jan 25 this year.

The events come as part of efforts by local authorities to enrich the cultural life in rural areas and boost rural vitalization.

Rural revitalization is essential to building a well-off society. 2020 is the last year of the 13th Five-Year-Plan and a decisive year in achieving the goal.