After the Lunar New Year, lion dancing was ubiquitous on the streets of Shunde, Guangdong province. Stepping on a wooden stool, a red lion soared into the air and leaped spectacularly 1.8 meters away. "A triumphant lion," the onlookers exclaimed. Then came the surprise. The red lion fell to the ground and dropped its head, revealing the delicate face of a girl.

The lions of the Southern School are powerful and tough, and have traditionally been regarded as "passing on to only males and not females". In the hit movie I Am What I Am, A Juan, the only female lion dancer, had a stint in just one scene. In real life, Huang Baoyi, the girl under the head of the red lion, is "holding a breath" in her heart. In this traditionally male-dominated sport, she wants to prove that girls can pull it off.

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