The Bailong dragon lantern dance performance is seen in in Jiange county of Guangyuan, Southwest China's Sichuan province. [Photo/cbgc.scol.com.cn]

Outstanding public-interest cultural performances of Bailong dragon lantern dancing have commenced in Jiange county of Guangyuan, Southwest China's Sichuan province, attracting many residents.

Bailong dragon lantern dancing originated in Bailong town in Jiange county. Every year from the 12th to the 15th day of the first lunar month, locals celebrate Spring Festival by performing this dance.

Many of the lantern shapes are inspired by local living and labor supplies, such as watermelons, lotuses, carps and horses. The singing content adopts the local dialect and incorporates a large number of commonly used folk sayings, capturing the cordial tone of the locals.

The music mode is mainly based on local folk songs, accompanied on cymbals, drums, gongs, the suona horn, wooden fish, silk strings and clappers, instruments popular in northern Sichuan.

Emphasizing the change of formation is its major artistic feature. There are more than 10 kinds of steps, such as hop step, shuttle step, skip step and quick short step which make a go of more than 200 different formations.

At present, this tradition has been passed down for more than 600 years in Jiange. The Bailong lantern, known as one of the four major lanterns in Sichuan, was selected as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage of the province.