Half kung-fu, half opera: China's captivating 'heroes' dance

Dancers in costumes perform a traditional Yingge dance outside an ancestral temple in Shantou, in southern China's Guangdong province on January 23, 2025. A mix of martial arts and Chinese opera, this traditional dance of "heroes" with ancient roots still lights up parts of Guangdong province ahead of the Lunar New Year. - AFP

SHANTOU, China (AFP): With painted faces and vivid costumes, 40 young dancers leap through the streets of Shantou in southern China to the sound of gongs and drums as hundreds of spectators watch.

A mix of martial arts and Chinese opera, this traditional dance of "heroes" with ancient roots still lights up parts of Guangdong province ahead of the Lunar New Year.