Dozens of costumed performers with elaborately painted faces dance and beat wooden sticks to the rhythm of gongs and drums in traditional performances of Yingge dance in the southern Chinese city of Shantou. Hundreds of spectators watch the displays in temples and on the streets, some travelling to the city specially to experience the Lunar New Year atmosphere. The half martial arts half opera performance, inspired by legendary stories, is often performed for festival celebrations to bring good luck. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES