Chinese version of 'The Nutcracker' to be staged to celebrate Spring Festival

BEIJING - China's National Center for the Performing Arts will stage "The Chinese New Year", a localized version of the classic ballet "The Nutcracker", between Jan 17 and 19 in Beijing to celebrate the Spring Festival.

The ballet, featuring a long scroll of Chinese festival customs, will be presented by the National Ballet of China.

In the Chinese version of "The Nutcracker", the setting is changed to a residence in a Beijing hutong, or alleyway, on the eve of the Spring Festival. The ballet tells the story of a girl Yuanyuan, who embarks on a mystical journey, with a nutcracker, her New Year gift.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan 25 next year.