China is renowned for its long and splendid history. Chinese folk art is part of that history. And Nuo Dance, which dates back 2,800 years, is no exception.

Originally, Nuo was a religious dance for driving evil spirits away from the Han peoples. It can be traced back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Later, it developed an artistic form with features of both dance and drama. Today, Nuo can only be seen in some remote areas of the country.

In the West, people dress up at the end of October in masks and costumes to exorcise evil spirits haunting the towns. It's called Halloween. It was originally a Celtic ritual to drive away the devil. Later, these activities developed into masquerades and festivals. China has its own version of this kind of ritual. It's called "Nuo Dance".

It's not easy to make a Nuo mask, a real work of art. First, the material has to be carefully chosen. Willow is a good choice because it's both light and flexible, and it's regarded as a symbol of exorcism. The second step is to trace out the design and begin carving. Next, sand paper is used to give the mask a fine finish. Finally, the mask is dyed. The whole process can take as long as two months, each mask a masterpiece in its own way.

Nowadays, Nuo Dance is still popular in some parts of the country. Wearing their colorful clothes and masks, these farmers entertain the village. Nuo Dancers are carefully chosen and train hard to master the art. The old dancers will work with apprentices, perfecting their technique before they can give a public performance.

Watching Nuo, the rhythm of the dance is mesmerizing. The mysterious ritual, the strange dancing style, the different masks, the looks on the villagers' faces. It will bewitch you. Nobody can watch Nuo and come away unimpressed.

January 16 in the lunar calendar marks the end of the Spring Festival and also the end of Nuo Dancing this year. For nearly 3,000 years, Nuo Dance has seen the old year out and the New Year in. All this time, Nuo has brought new hope, new prospects and a new year to the people. It will continue to do so for many years to come.

Editor: Li Guixiang.