Cute lion heads, loud gongs(锣)and drums, an excited crowd-these are all parts of the lion dances you often see during Chinese holidays or at the openings of new shops and restaurants.
Ancient Chinese people thought the lion stood for(代表)braveness. It can drive away bad things and bring good luck. As one of the most well-known folk dances in China, the lion dance has been performed for more than 2,000 years. It was very popular during the Tang Dynasty(618—907).
Wang Rentao, 41, has been performing the lion dance for 28 years. Born in Zhongkeng village in Dongguan, Guangdong, Wang watched villagers perform it when he was young." It's a historical tradition here and the love for lion dance is in everyone's blood," Wang said.
Now the head of the village's lion dance performers, Wang is proud of the group's achievements. "We've won many prizes and taken part in many important events, including the celebration of the 70th birthday of New China at Tian'anmen Square," Wang said. Wang's group is famous for dancing on quincuncial piles(梅花桩), one of the most diffcult lion dance skills. Performers jump from one pile to another at a height of about 2.5meters.The distance between the piles can be as far as 1.8 meters.
"The training is really difficult. Performers need to have lots of good practice of kungfu skills first. Even with that, they can fall from the pile and get hurt," Wang said. "But that's also the amazing part of lion dance, the part that makes it valuableheritage."
The lion dance is popular not just in China, but in overseas Chinese communities. Many overseas Chinese see the lion as a symbol of China. The lion dance reminds them of the culture of their homeland.
