The traditional art of the Chinese lion dance is nowhere near perishing in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, lion dance troupes here are practicing their coordinated movements in the noisy routine that is believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.

It's a centuries-old tradition dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), when lion dancers were mostly from martial arts schools and used their acrobatic kicks and jumps to ring in the new year.