As the Fifth China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo is around the corner, Shanghe, a county-level city in Jinan, East China's Shandong province is preparing to stage a grand yangko dance show.

A total of over 600 dancers from 12 teams featuring different folk forms demonstrate the Ansai waist drum dance, Haiyang yangko, Jiaozhou yangko and the Fengyang flower-drum dance. These folk dances have been listed as national intangible cultural heritages.

The fifth China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo, jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Shandong provincial government, will be held in Jinan, capital of Shandong, from Sept 13 to 17.

Shanghe drum yangko, a typical male dance in northern Shandong, originates from the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC - AD 220) dynasties and boasts a long history. It is popular in the rural area in Shanghe and features grand rhythms to express working people's strength and resilience. It was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Ansai waist drum dance is a traditional folk art popular in Ansai county in Shaanxi province. It integrates Yangge and martial arts to show the brave and optimistic local character. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Ansai waist drum dance manifests vigorous movements to the accompaniment of rhythmic drumbeats. At the climax of the dance, dancers beat drums while jumping in the air and yelling "Hai hai!" It was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]