DAOIST PRIESTS CONDUCT PRAYERS IN WUDANGSHAN MOUNTAINS, 1999-04-22 (photo)

Daoist priests conduct prayers for a group of elderly pilgrims during a major religious festival in Wudangshan Daoist mountains in central Hubei province April 17. Thousands of people attended a special re-enacment of an imperial ceremony on the third day of the third lunar month in China's traditional lunar calendar. Daoism is one of China's most ancient religions, emphasizing harmony between man and nature. In its heydays under the Ming dynasty, Wudangshan was home to over 30,000 Daoist priests, but less than a hundred remain these days. Chinese authorities are slowly repairing temples and pavilions ransacked by Maoist Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution and are hoping to turn the area into a major tourist attraction. Picture taken April 17. ASW/TAN