An actress poses in the dance opera Mulan. [Photo/zj.zjol.com] 

Mulan, a dance opera created by the Ningbo Performing Arts Group, recently won the 11th Lotus Award, the highest honor in Chinese dance circles, local media reported.

The Lotus Award, established by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Chinese Dancers Association in 1997, awards various dance forms in China. The award for dance opera is organized every three years.

The dance opera Mulan is based on the story of Hua Mulan, a legendary Chinese heroine in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-581) who fought in the war in place of her aged father. 

It was quite popular among people all over the country and received high recognition from Chinese dance circles.

"The dance opera demonstrates the traditional Chinese virtue of loyalty and filial piety, and promotes the profound Chinese culture," said a person from the Ningbo Performing Arts Group.

An actor plays an instrument in the dance opera Mulan. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]