The lion dance is a traditional performance in China and other Asian countries. Performers usually mimic a lion's movements in a costume during Spring Festival or ahead of a business opening. /VCG Photo

The dance is believed to bring fortune, but how is the costume made? 72-year-old Li Yi is a traditional lion dance costume maker based in south China's Guangdong Province and over the past decades he's used his hands to design and stitch together the lions' heads. /VCG Photo

Li took up the craft at the age of 17 to make ends meet. In 1976, he established his own business to create the elaborate costumes. He needs to first build a structure that will hold the fabric using bamboo shoots cut into strips of different lengths. He then uses glue and sandpaper to fix the joints of each bamboo strip. After the structure is aired, Li wraps it with paper, paints it and decorates it. /VCG Photo

Finishing one item takes a whole day. "When I was young, I was able to make two to three heads a day," Li said. /VCG Photo

It is not an easy task but Li enjoys the process and is proud of having devoted himself to master his craft. /VCG Photo

The popularity of Li's costumes has traveled beyond China. Every year, he gets many orders from Singapore and Malaysia. /VCG Photo