More than 50 enthusiasts graduated from a six-day training program that began on July 30 in Qingtian county, Lishui, Zhejiang province, on the national intangible cultural heritage known as the "hundred-bird lantern dance".

The training combined theoretical instruction with practical exercises, enabling participants to systematically master the essence of the dance form.

At the graduation ceremony, trainees in coordinated costumes and holding multicolored bird lanterns danced to traditional music, their lifelike portrayals of soaring and leaping birds drawing sustained applause from the audience.

Trainees perform the hundred-bird lantern dance at the graduation ceremony, in Qingtian county of Lishui city, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

A certificate presentation followed the demonstration. Provincial-level heritage inheritor Han Zhiqin awarded certificates to each participant. Trainees commemorated the occasion with group photographs.

Trainee Wu Yunmei, who enrolled because of her passion for the art form, said the training enhanced her skills and connected her with like-minded peers.

The hundred-bird lantern dance is a distinctive national intangible cultural heritage of Qingtian with centuries of history. It primarily imitates avian postures — integrating dance, music and craftsmanship. Through intricately crafted lanterns paired with unique choreography and melodies, it expresses profound local cultural characteristics and reverence for natural life.

The participants take a group photo during the certificate presentation. [Photo/Tide News]

An official said that more efforts will expand protection and promotional measures — including establishing interest-based classes in primary and secondary schools to increase youth engagement with this cultural heritage.