Dance the heroic Yingge and be a happy youth!

Young dancers with painted faces and colorful costumes leap and twirl to the beat of drums and gongs on the streets of Shantou, a city in southern China, as hundreds of spectators watch. The traditional Yingge dance, which combines elements of martial arts and Chinese opera, has a long history and is popular in parts of Guangdong Province around the Lunar New Year. Yingge is a traditional folk dance from the Chaoshan region of Guangdong, combining elements of drama, dance, and martial arts. The performance is powerful and is also known as the "Chinese war dance." It was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. Yingge literally means "song of heroes" and originated in Shantou and Chaozhou in Guangdong Province. It is often performed during Lunar New Year or other festive celebrations to bring good luck. Inspired by legendary stories such as "Water Margin," dancers wear elaborate costumes and headpieces to portray soldiers or mythical heroes, most of whom are between 12 and 30 years old. In the Chaoshan region, Yingge is a source of pride.