People perform the "picking up in the sea" scene during the dance drama "Gulimei" on the beach of Beihai, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on July 30, 2008. [Xinhuanet]

A large-scale dance drama entitled "Gulimei" debuted on Wednesday night on the beach of Beihai, in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

This is China's first dance drama themed around sea life, Xinhua news agency reported.

As an art work that encompasses the beautiful scenery of the city's Northern Bay, the dance drama consists of three parts: lamp, net, and sail.

"Gulimei" is an exclamation in "Xianshuige," a folk song for local people who sing to express both their joy and sorrow.

Reportedly, 200 performances of this drama will be given this year.

The drama, which integrates both culture and sightseeing, is predicted to help boost the development of local tourism.

(CRI August 1, 2008)