China’s captivating ‘heroes’ dance blends kung-fu and opera

Traditional Yingge dance in Shantou, China, blends martial arts and opera, captivating audiences and preserving cultural heritage.

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.

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"They have a lot of energy! It's super exciting to watch," said Wang Mei, 50, a tourist visiting ahead of the Chinese New Year, the year of the snake, which begins on January 29.

As the performers clash sticks together in front of a small wooden temple in Shantou, tens of thousands follow the performance on platforms like Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, which has in recent months helped the unique dance explode in popularity.

The Yingge dance — literally "songs of heroes" — originated in the cities of Shantou and Chaozhou in Guangdong.

Often performed during Lunar New Year celebrations or other festive events to bring good luck, it is derived from legendary tales, including the classic Ming dynasty Chinese novel "Water Margin".