Hero Manas, a dance drama originating from a heroic epic in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will make its debut in mid-May in Wuxi, Jiangsu province.

Manas is a heroic epic of the Kirgiz ethnic group and is one of China’s three heroic epics. Though it was listed as a world intangible cultural heritage in 2010, it has yet to gain wide popularity among the public.

More than 20 dancers from Xinjiang's Aheqi county dance troupe came to Wuxi in March to rehearse the dance drama with local dancers. The dancers hoped that a perfect performance would help promote their ethnic culture and make the heritage known to more people.

The revision of the play's script lasted almost two years and has morphed into a dance drama representing local culture and historical features. The hero, Manas, and heroine, Kanica, are symbols of courage and beauty of the Kirgiz ethnic group.

The drama dance will feature at the 3rd China Xinjiang International Dancing Festival in August and will represent Jiangsu province at the national ethnic group art gala in October, 2016. Wuxi and Aheqi will cooperate to produce a starter edition of Hero Manas as a permanent tourism product.

A dancer rehearses for the dance drama, Hero Manas. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A dancer rehearses for the dance drama, Hero Manas. [Photo provided to China Daily]