Guiyang teams claim nine first places at Guizhou Dragon and Lion Dance Open Championship

The two-day 2026 Guizhou Dragon and Lion Dance Open Championship concluded at Xifeng County Stadium in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on May 17.

A team from Guiyang poses for a group photo. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Bringing together dragon and lion dances as a shared cultural expression, nearly 500 athletes from 41 teams across the province delivered a vibrant folk sports spectacle for both live and online audiences, combining rich tradition with dynamic athleticism.

The championship consisted of three main categories: dragon dance, southern lion dance, and northern lion dance. These were further divided into four competition groups covering different age ranges: adult men's group, adult women's group, junior high and high school group, and elementary school and children's group.

Teams from Guiyang delivered an outstanding performance, sweeping nine first-place titles. These included: men's dragon dance routine, men's dragon dance (speed), men's dragon dance obstacle (timed), men's dragon dance obstacle (scored), women's dragon dance routine, women's dragon dance freestyle, elementary school creative dragon dance, northern lion dance freestyle, and northern lion dance routine.

The championship not only provided a platform for skill exchange among dragon and lion dance enthusiasts across Guizhou, but also promoted the living transmission of intangible cultural heritage and the deeper development of the nationwide fitness initiative. 

A team from Guiyang poses for a group photo. [Photo/Guiyang news network]