Nine teams from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia competed in an international lion dance competition held on April 5 in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

A team from Guangxi's Tengxian County was crowned champion at the competition, which took place Friday in the city of Guilin, a popular tourist attraction.

The lion dance is a traditional performing art form of China. Lion dances are staged on festive occasions such as the Spring Festival to entertain people. 

The tradition is believed to have originated in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280 A.D.) and peaked in the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589 A.D.).

Friday's competition was aimed at boosting cultural exchanges between China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

(Cover:  An international lion dance competition is held in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 5, 2019. /VCG Photo)