Three dancers integrate Yue Opera with allegro performance to welcome the Lunar New Year.[Photo by Shi Xiaofeng]

As the Lunar New Year draws near, the cultural auditorium in Nanjie village in Shengzhou city, Zhejiang province, is packed with festive rehearsals, ranging from band performances and dancing to special Yue Opera singing.

The performances, though rendered by ordinary villagers, feature great creativity and vividly represent the spirit of rural communities.

"I used to know nothing about playing the saxophone but after years of practicing and help from a music teacher employed by our village, I can play many pieces now," said Wang Weijia, a member of Nanjie village's brass band.

"I like dancing and every evening I dance with friends on the square outside the auditorium," said Wang Wenxia, a 49-year-old woman who joined the village's dancing team seven years ago. Wang choreographed a dance specially for the upcoming Year of the Rooster and will perform on stage with her friends.

The cultural auditorium has become a main venue for villagers to have fun and showcase the new skills they have learnt there.

A brass band from Nanjie village practices for performances during the upcoming Chinese New Year.[Photo by Shi Xiaofeng]

Wang Wenxia, a 49-year-old local who is leading the dance team, choreographs a dance in celebration of the approaching Year of the Rooster.[Photo by Shi Xiaofeng]