Seniors take to streets to perform traditional folk dance

Hundreds of seniors, waving colored fans with ribbons, took to the streets once again over the weekend, performing yangge, a traditional Chinese folk dance that celebrates the harvest in rural areas, causing traffic jams in downtown Changchun, Jilin Province.

The dancers, senior residents from nearby communities, are seen occupying the streets nearly every night. They said they come to the streets because the community square is not big enough to allow them to dance freely, Changchun-based news portal xwh.cn reported Sunday.

Cars passing through the city are forced to drive very slowly - one resident said that due to the large number of dancers on the road, drivers do not dare to hit anyone.

Nearby residents have tried to get the seniors to stop, telling them that it is dangerous for them to dance on the streets. But the seniors, who find joy in yangge, refuse to give up the traditional dance.

Local transport authorities said that their dancing on the road violates traffic rules and increases their risk of being struck by a drunk or tired driver, adding that a suitable place for the seniors to dance safely will be found soon.