Centipede dance, which originates from Wushi town, Leizhou, a county-level city in Zhanjiang, attracted many visitors' attention during the Third Lingnan Folk Culture Festival, Sept 24-27.

The dance has a history of more than 500 years. It was originated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a way to ward off evil spirits and pray for peace and good harvest.

Local residents perform traditional centipede dance during the Mid-Autumn Festival every year. The dancers look like crawling centipedes while dancing.

In recent years, centipede dance has spread out from Wushi and gained nationwide popularity, opening up new avenues for the interesting dance style to flourish.

Dancers perform centipede dance at the Third Lingnan Folk Culture Festival in Zhanjiang on Sept 26. [Photo/yinsha.com]

Dancers look like crawling centipedes while dancing at the Third Lingnan Folk Culture Festival in Zhanjiang on Sept 26. [Photo/yinsha.com]