The wonderful Qingtian hundred-bird lantern dance is one of the nation's intangible cultural heritage items. [Photo by Wu Zhanghuan/WeChat account: qttv0678]

Orienting in Qingtian county – administered by Lishui City, in East China's Zhejiang Province – the fascinating Qingtian hundred-bird lantern dance is a traditional performance which can be traced back as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

It was included in the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2014.

Originally a folk prayer activity, it later evolved into a ceremony for people to celebrate festivals and harvests. It is popular in the county, especially in Shankou town, where its inheritance and development has been the most complete.

With the increasing challenges posed by modern art, Qingtian has introduced policies to support the protection and development work of the hundred-bird lantern dance.

In 2019, a series of books representing the intangible cultural heritage of Zhejiang province was released, recording in detail the historical origin, performance characteristics, musical accompaniment, social value and many other aspects of the dance.

At present, the hundred-bird lantern dance is performed, among other cultural art forms, during Lishui's international cultural exchanges.