Chinese dancer Yang Liping won the 2005 Mont Blanc Arts Patronage Award in recognition of her personal achievement and her effort in protecting and promoting the folk ethnic dances.

Chinese established dancer Yang Liping of the Bai ethnic group won the 2005 Mont Blanc Arts Patronage Award recently in recognition of her personal achievement on stage as well as her effort in protecting and promoting the folk ethnic dances in Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Yang was awarded 15,000 euros and a special Mont Blanc pen.

The winner was selected by 30 leading artists from 10 countries and regions, in the contest sponsored by the German pen company Mont Blanc.

Yang, called "Peacock Princess," has been known throughout China for her specialized dance number of peacock since she won the top prize at the Chinese National Dance Competition in 1986.

In 2003, she produced and performed as the leading dancer in a hit show Dynamic Yunnan which has been widely acclaimed the best production featuring original folk and ethnic music and dance numbers.

In 1992, Mont Blanc established the Mont Blanc Foundation for Arts and Culture, to present the Mont Blanc Art Patronage Award to world-renowned artists whose commitment and achievements deserve wider recognition.

(CRI.com July 19, 2005)