Dancers perform the Zaoli dance to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year in the town of Fengting, Xianyou county of Putian city in Fujian province. [Photo by Cai Hao/For chinadaily.com.cn]

As a branch of the ancient Nuo dance, the Zaoli dance retains an aura of mystery, involving interactions between "man, heaven, earth, gods, and ghosts".

According to Chen Zunhua, head of the Fengting Lingshan Temple Zaoli Dance Study Center, the performance during the first lunar month is a local custom involving divine worship, exorcism, and epidemic prevention. The dance symbolizes the people's aspiration to ward off evil spirits and ensure peace; a tradition passed down for more than seven centuries, Chen said.