Faye Wong performs at CCTV's 2010 Spring Festival Gala on Saturday, February 13, 2010. [sina.com.cn]

Mando-pop diva Faye Wong and 1990s boy band The Little Tigers took the spotlight on the stage of CCTV's 2010 Spring Festival Gala with their captivating performances on Chinese Lunar New Year Eve.

According to comments from both media and netizens, the two acts' performances were the best acclaimed and among the hottest online topics following the annual gala's live broadcast.

Wong, 40, took to the stage crooning singer-songwriter Li Jian's nostalgic ballad "Legend" in her first solo performance at a public event since she bowed out from the pop music scene in 2005. She is slated to begin a nationwide concert tour following her appearance on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala.

The pop trio The Little Tigers, bringing back their old-fashioned influence and style, managed to connect with the audience with a medley of three of their 1990s hits.

The reunion of the boy band was largely hyped and eagerly anticipated ahead of the New Year's television event, but recent remarks from the three members have confirmed that their onstage get-together would only be temporary and they would not return to the pop scene as a group under their original name.

Started in 1983, the China Central Television (CCTV) show airs live every Chinese Lunar New Year's eve to mark the country's biggest traditional festival. The show routinely runs more than four hours overnight and features diverse entertainment, including pop songs, dances, crosstalk, stage comedies and drama, acrobatics and other folk arts.