Billionaire Warren Buffett strummed the ukulele, singer Leehom Wang played a dragon-shaped guitar and Premier Wen Jiabao visited oil workers as China ushered in the Lunar New Year.

Buffett and Wang’s acts were part of China Central Television’s annual New Year’s gala, one of the world’s most- watched programs, that aired yesterday. Buffett sang “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” in a video clip on CCTV’s website. American-born Wang’s guitar paid tribute to the Year of the Dragon, which began at midnight to thunderous ad hoc firework displays in Beijing that echoed off the high-rise buildings.

“I’ve been working on the railroad, all the livelong day,” Buffett, 81, sang in a raspy voice. “I’ve been working on the railroad, just to pass the time away.”

Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China, with tens of millions of people crisscrossing the country in the world’s biggest annual human migration. The nation’s leaders by tradition visit workers and farmers during the holiday to share in the celebration. This year Wen visited oil workers in northwestern China’s Gansu Province. President Hu Jintao set off fireworks with farmers near the Great Wall of China and visited a shopping street just south of Tiananmen Square.

Room-Sized Railroad

People in China will make a total of 3.16 billion passenger trips during the Lunar New Year holiday rush period, which began Jan. 8 and will end in the middle of February, a 9.1 percent increase from 2011, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. This year’s travel has been stymied by snow and freezing rain stretching across the country.

Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and an investor in Chinese carmaker BYD Co., was seen playing the American folk song in front of a room-sized model railroad. Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire acquired the railroad operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC in 2010. “Xie xie,” he said, using the Chinese word for “thank you,” after he finished strumming.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported on Jan. 5 that Buffett would sing in a video celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday.

Buffett and his friend Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corp., are well-known figures in China because of their business success. Berkshire Hathaway is part-owner of BYD, a Shenzhen- based company that makes the E6 electric vehicle, whose shares have risen 33 percent this year. 

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CNTV.cn Warren Buffett plays ukulele and sings in a video clip posted on the website of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV for the lunar new year.

A short video clip of Warren Buffett playing the ukulele and singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" is part of Chinese television's New Year celebration.

It appears on the 2012 Spring Gala website of state broadcaster CCTV.  The Gala is a massive television program marking the start of the lunar new year that's watched by millions of Chinese.

A spokeswoman for the broadcast tells the WSJ's China Realtime Report that along with its inclusion in the online version of the Gala the Buffett video also aired on TV.

Almost two weeks ago that same blog had knocked down earlier reports that Buffett would sing in the Chinese new year, leading us to post that Millions of Chinese Won't Have to Hear Warren Buffett Sing.

No such luck, but Buffett is very popular in China where he's seen as something of a 'rock star' investor, and the clip is prominently placed on the CCTV site.

According to the WSJ blog, the video was actually recorded for a charity event a year ago associated with media executive Wu Zheng, described as a friend of Buffett's:

"Originally — as Mr. Wu told China Real Time earlier this month — Mr. Buffett objected to repurposing the video for the new year’s audience.  Mr. Buffett appears to have changed his mind: Mr. Wu said Sunday that Mr. Buffett later gave his assent to use the video in the gala."

Berkshire Hathaway is now the proud owner of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, a purchase Buffett has described as a long-term bet on America's economic future.

Buffett is also a lifelong railroad buff, and we assume the video was shot in his Omaha home, where, according to USA Today, "He has an elaborate model railroad layout on the third floor ... for his children and grandchildren, though 'it gets little action,' he says, because they don't share his fascination and he has little time for it."

Buffett serenades Chinese in New Year’s tribute

BEIJING – American billionaire Warren Buffett has staged yet another surprise performance, this time winning the hearts and minds of millions of Chinese with an American folk song. He sang and played ukulele for a hugely watched television program to celebrate the Year of the Dragon Monday.
 
"We know of Mr. Buffett's investing genius, but we did not know that he can sing as well," remarked one smiling local television host as she introduced the 45-second video clip of the 81-year-old philanthropist and chairman of investment giant Berkshire Hathaway. The video was posted on the web site of China's state-run television CCTV, which broadcasts a glitzy TV extravaganza annually on the eve of the Chinese New Year.

“I am Warren Buffett, and I'd like to wish all the people of China a Happy New Year in this Year of the Dragon. Your country has accomplished amazing things, and the best is yet to come," Buffett said before crooning the American classic “I've Been Working On The Railroad."
 
At the end, he raised his hand and said "Xiexie,” the Chinese word for “thank you.”

His greeting got a favorable response from many Chinese viewers online.
 
“Grandpa Buffett deserves respect, not because he is good at making money, but because of his selfless contributions and his charitable and kind-hearted activities,” said one commentator on Youku.com, a popular video site.
 
"A role model for all the rich people," remarked another.
 
"Grandpa Buffett is so cute, he is not just a god of wealth, but a sage who understands human nature and the way the world works," added another.
 
"We invited Warren Buffett to participate in the gala this year not because of the great business success he has achieved, but mainly because of his famous contribution to the public welfare," television producer Luo Yan told local media.
Buffett cuts a legendary figure in China. Chinese tycoons have paid up to $2 million dollars for the privilege of dining with the American financial guru in a charity auction. 

Guo Guanchang, one of China's richest entrepreneurs and founder of Fosun, China's biggest private investment conglomerate, often extols Buffett's value investment philosophy. 
 
Of course, Buffett is also a major investor in China. His company owns 10 percent of the Chinese battery and car maker BYD, with a quarter of a billion dollar investment that has doubled in value. He also invested about half a billion dollars in PetroChina, a gas and oil giant, that yielded over $3 billion in profits when he cashed out after five years.
 
NBC News' Gu Bo contributed to this report.

U.S. billionaire and philanthropist Warren Buffett sang and played the ukulele as he appeared in a video broadcast on China's state-run television Sunday to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2012/01/22/si-warren-buffett-300-cctv.jpgU.S. billionaire Warren Buffett wished the people of China a happy new year Sunday when he appeared in a video during state-run TV's gala marking the Year of the Dragon. (CCTV)

The 81-year-old investment wonder popped up on CCTV and wished the people of China "a happy new year."

The Lunar New Year of the Dragon begins at midnight on Sunday.

"Your country has accomplished amazing things, and the best is yet to come," Buffett told the broadcaster.

It was unknown when and where the video was filmed, but Buffett appeared in casual clothes and sat in front of a model railway set.He crooned the American folk song I've Been Working on the Railroad.

The investor is well respected in China for his financial success.

He holds a 10 per cent stake in the Chinese auto group BYD.

Buffet is a keen ukulele enthusiast and several video clips have been posted online of him playing.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2012/01/22/si-china-new-year-300-ap-01958752.jpgA woman with a red packet, which is used for holding money, poses for a souvenir photo with an employee dressed as a god of fortune outside a shopping mall in Beijing in the week leading up to the Lunar New Year. (Andy Wong/Associated Press)

Meanwhile, people in Beijing were preparing to mark the start of the new year on Sunday.

Ice sculptors were busy carving creations in a park ahead of the celebrations.

Lanterns are traditionally hung and later on Sunday people will start setting off fireworks to ward off evil spirits.

Legend has it that Chinese people descended from the dragon and many believe the powerful creature is auspicious, despite years of authoritarian rule and government discouragement of superstition.

In a tradition that has continued for thousands of years, the Chinese have named each year after an animal in a 12-year cycle.

© The Associated Press, 2012

(AFP) – 5 days ago 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ibAxJnUaZU5GWO0FJ92AIvs33raQ?docId=CNG.31202813e09e1c9f3bc8463ca3fde2be.d01

BEIJING — The online version of a glitzy television gala marking the Chinese Lunar New Year on Sunday featured a video of US billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett singing and playing the ukulele.

The 81-year-old investment guru appeared in a room in an unknown location, sitting in front of a huge train set, wearing a black jumper and singing the American folk song "I've been working on the Railroad".

China is preparing to say goodbye to the New Year of the Rabbit and welcome the New Year of the Dragon -- which starts on Monday -- with fireworks and dumplings, in the nation's most important annual, family holiday.

The country's state-run television CCTV broadcasts a glitzy gala every year on Chinese New Year's Eve, but it was unclear whether Buffett's segment would be featured on television as well as on the earlier web version of the show.

The 45-second video, available on CCTV's website, is titled "Buffett sings and plays (the ukulele), offering his vocals for CCTV's online Spring Festival (show)."

Buffett, who holds a stake of nearly 10 percent in Chinese auto group BYD, is no stranger to China.

In September 2010, he and fellow billionaire Bill Gates triggered huge media hype when they hosted a banquet in Beijing for China's super-rich to discuss charitable giving.

The philanthropist has long been seen as a model investor by China's growing legions of rich, many of whom hope to emulate the investment guru's feats as the nation's economy grows.

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved.