Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, will stage an international cultural festival this year to make the ancient Nuo ritual, the oldest form of Chinese dancing.

The festival is scheduled for June 11 to 15, sponsored by China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Jiangxi provincial government and Chinese Folk Writers and Artists Association.

The event aims to expand international cultural cooperation and exchanges and help preserve the Chinese folk art form that has been performed for more than 2,000 years but is on the verge of extinction because very few youngsters carry on the tradition.

Nuo rituals were originally performed during the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays to expel evil spirits and pestilence. In recent decades the ceremony is more a theatrical performance for entertainment and expresses farmers' longing for good weather, bumper harvest and family prosperity.

Nuo performers are often equipped with whips and dance to different mysterious tunes. They also wear masks painted in different colors -- black, white and red -- and bear varied countenances -- some look amiable and others ferocious and frightening.

Jiangxi Province is a cradle of Nuo operas, which are also staged in some southern and southwestern provinces and autonomous regions.

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2005)