Representatives of 56 ethnic groups from across China will gather at the peak of Mount Taishan in the wee hours of January 1 to await the first rays of sunlight to beam down on the famed tourist spot.

At midnight on December 31, the group, along with a group of 10, 000 selected mountaineering fans will begin their climb of the mountain at the Daizong Memorial Archway, one of the three routes leading to the summit of Mount Taishan, a symbol of grandeur to the Chinese.

Just before dawn, the climbers are scheduled to reach the mountaintop and sing a song composed to herald the new century sunlight.

Other millennial celebrations to be held at the peak of Mount Taishan include the burning of millennial sacred firewood collected at the site of the Neolithic Dawenkou Culture in the province, which dates back some 5,000 years.

Tens of thousands of college and university students clad in golden robes also will scale the mountain and scatter to form the shape of a dragon stretching from the foot of the mountain to the peak.

All these events will be broadcast live from the CCTV and other Chinese TV stations to a worldwide audience.

Rising 1,545 meters above sea level, Mount Taishan is situated near the country's eastern seaboard, in Tai'an city of east China' s Shandong province. The mountain was added to the World Heritage List of culture and nature sites by the UNESCO in 1987.