China is an ancient country with a vast territory and a huge population. Its 56 ethnic groups were formed over a long history and have developed rich and varied cultures. Each group has its unique language, customs and religion.

People all around the world instinctively use dance to express their feelings and show off their skills. Dance is a form of non-verbal communication understood by people of all nations and races. Different living conditions, occupations, religions and cultures have, over millennia, produced a huge variety of folk dances with diverse forms and rich colors.

Folk dances typically have defined social functions: there are dances for sacrificial rites, religious dances, dances for entertainment, courtship dances, work dances and so on. In today's scientific age of course, their original ritual meanings may have been forgotten, and dances are often performed purely for fun.

On festival days in China, country dwellers and ethnic minorities often dress up in national costumes to take part in traditional dances. To outsiders the dance steps and melodies may seem impossibly complicated but to the participants who have learnt them from childhood they seem to come naturally. Folk dances have been passed down for generations and whatever their function from sacrificial rite to courtship, they reflect the rich cultural heritage of the nation.

To urban audiences these ethnic folk dances originating from remote and high mountains, deep forests, rivers and plateaus represent a romantic and mysterious echo of their own past.

(China.org.cn August 8, 2008)