Mixing acrobatics, martial arts and theatre, lion dancing is believed to bring prosperity and protection from evil spirits.

Performed across China and around the world, at weddings or during business openings, it is a mainstay of Lunar New Year celebrations, which begin on Wednesday.

"I discovered this dance one day by chance in the street. I found it super graceful," Lin, 18, told AFP in the courtyard of a temple in the southern Chinese city of Shantou, where her troupe trains.

"The tenacity of the dancers, their ability to perform these movements, impressed me. I wanted to become like them," she said.

Inside a costume consisting of a large, colourful lion head and a long, silky piece of fabric representing the body, dancers must work in tandem to bring the animal to life.

It can be tough on dancers' bodies, with one performer often required to lift the other by the waist to simulate the beast jumping on its hind legs.

That physical exertion, coupled with deep-rooted patriarchal attitudes, has long resulted in women being excluded from the tradition.

But Lin Likun -- the troupe's 31-year-old coach -- said the presence of women made the lion dancing show more "enjoyable" and means more people can pass on "this intangible heritage".

"We are constantly looking for ways to innovate, to breathe new vitality into lion dance," he said.

"It also allows us to reflect women's aspirations," he added, even if some give up along the way because of the physical demands.

- Rejecting patriarchy -

The troupe, called Lingdong, counts about 80 members aged between 13 to 33, most of them school students.

Around 20 of them are women.

While the presence of young women in the troupe elicits "mostly positive" feedback, Lin acknowledges that there has been some "mockery" and "negative reactions".

"Some old-timers think that women should stay at home and do housework. But our generation has a different view," he said.

"We believe in equality between men and women."

A growing number of Chinese women are rejecting the rigidity of traditional obligations imposed by their parents, who expect them to marry and have children young.

The cultural shift has been accompanied by the stardom of tennis player Zheng Qinwen, a champion at last year's Paris Olympics, and the critical success of the Chinese film "Her Story", which addresses gender inequality in contemporary society.

"Some say that a girl can't lead a lion. But it's my passion and it's up to me alone to take it on," said performer Lin Xinmeng.

"I want to surpass myself, to show that girls are not necessarily less good than boys," she explained.

- 'Masculine strength, feminine grace' -

Lin goes jogging, squats and weight trains to prepare herself for the most physically demanding parts of the dance.

She sees the participation of women and girls as a way "to combine masculine strength and feminine grace".

Another girl in the troupe, Dong Zidan, has 45,000 followers on the social network Douyin, China's version of TikTok, where she regularly shares content about lion dancing.

"I hope to encourage more girls to participate in our customs and pass on this intangible heritage," she said.

Coach Lin's next project is to have as many girls as boys in his team.

He will then try to create an all-women troupe -- a distant goal given the challenges that persist.

"The facts will prove that girls can assert themselves just as much as men," he insisted.

"Whether in lion dancing or in daily life."