The 2019 Guangzhou International Lion Dance Invitation Tournament, featuring a dozen lion dance teams from Guangzhou, Foshan, Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Hong Kong, kicked off on Jan 12 in the Beijing Road Cultural Tourism Zone. It marked the beginning of a variety of cultural celebrations to be held in Guangzhou during the Spring Festival. The competition attracted a large audience, who were impressed by the acrobatic feats of the lion dancers.

Lion dancers perform on stage in the Beijing Road Cultural Tourism Zone on Jan 12. [Photo/ycwb.com] 

The lion dance is an important part of traditional Lingnan Kung Fu culture. The early films of Huang Feihong, a legendary martial artist from Foshan, have made the lion dance a regular event in Guangdong.

Visitors enjoy a lion dance in the Beijing Road Cultural Tourism Zone on Jan 12. [Photo/ycwb.com]

Lion dancers perform an impressive stunt. [Photo/ycwb.com]