A team performs dragon dance at the competition taken in Fuchuan Yao autonomous county on Feb 26. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The finals of a special dragon and lion dance competition was staged in Fuchuan Yao autonomous county on Feb 26, with 18 dragon dance and lion dance teams from China and ASEAN countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand competing fiercely against each other.

The dragon dances in the competition included both folk dragon dance (the dragons are different in shape, colors and have a variety of local features) and competitive dragon dance (the dragons are unified with the same number of dancers). The lion dance in the event included only the nanshi or the Cantonese lion dance where performers present stunts like leaping on high wood piles using kung fu stances.

Two people perform lion dance at the competition in Fuchuan Yao autonomous county on Feb 26. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

After deafening sounds of gongs and drums, three prize winners were unveiled for the events, with a lion dance team from Hong Kong crowned championship.

The highlights of the event, according to Qin Jianhua, a senior referee for the competition, included the top-level performances brought by local dragon dance teams from Fuchuan Yao autonomous county and the first prize winner lion dance show on high wood stakes.

According to Chen Hua, Party chief of Fuchuan Yao autonomous county, the competition promoted the people-to-people communication and cultural exchanges between the county and ASEAN countries. It also served as a great platform for spreading traditional Chinese culture and increasing Fuchuan’s global exposure.

Winners of the competition and organizers pose for a group photo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]