China's long history has left us with numerous myths and legends. "Jingwei Filling the Sea" is one of those tales which has always been told as a bed-time story to soothe Chinese children to sleep. Now the Tianjin Ballet Troupe has taken this household story onto the stage in Fujian Province at the Third National Dance Drama Demo.

The ballet "Jingwei" tells the story of the Chinese legend "Jingwei Filling the Sea," which has been handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. Long ago, the daughter of Emperor Yan fell in love with a fisherman whose village was destroyed by an evil sea monster. The lovers fought together against the monster to rescue their fellow villagers. Unfortunately, the daughter was drowned in the tumultuous seas, but her spirit was transformed into the bird "Jingwei." With hatred towards the sea, the bird flew back and forth every day, carrying pebbles to drop into the water so as to fill the entire ocean.

In its rendition of this epic tale, the ballet acknowledges the perseverance and enterprise of the Chinese nation through exquisite dance, novel design, gorgeous scenes and sensuous music.

(CCTV December 4, 2003)