The lion dance is an excellent folk art of China, which was also called "Peaceful Music" in ancient times.

Here is a detailed introduction to it:

Origin and development

• Origin: After the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, with the southward migration of immigrants from the Central Plains, the lion dance culture was introduced to the Lingnan region. In the Ming Dynasty, it was introduced to Nanhai County, Guangdong Province, and later spread to Guangzhou and Suixi County. In the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, the lion dance custom was prevalent in Guangdong and Guangxi during the Spring Festival.

• Development: Since the 1980s, almost every town in Guangdong has its own lion dance team. Throughout the year, the gongs and drums of the opening ceremonies never stop. During festivals, the lion dance teams go out to pick greens and tour. After the reform and opening up, the lion dance activities in Guangdong were restored and popularized, especially in the Pearl River Delta region.

Artistic features

• Design: The design of Guangdong lion dance costumes often features furry trims and rich and colorful hues. The traditional lion head makeup of the lion dance is based on the Cantonese opera facial makeup of the six Three Kingdoms heroes, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Huang Gai. The design is based on the characters in the Cantonese opera, with different colors of facial makeup paired with different decorations.

• Performance forms: The main performance forms include "Caiqing", "Drinking water on a high platform", "Lion spitting balls", and "Stepping on plum blossom piles", etc. Among them, "Caiqing" is the essence of the lion dance, which has a process of "beginning, development, turning, and ending", and is dramatic and story-like.

• Characteristics of the performance: During the performance, the gongs and drums are sounded, and the lion dancers first perform a series of southern kung fu moves, which is called "opening the pile". Then, two people play a lion and dance, and another person wears a smiling "big-headed Buddha" and holds a large fan to lead the lion onto the stage. The lion dancers mainly perform southern kung fu horse steps, and the lion's movements include "opening its eyes", "washing its beard", "turning its body", and "shaking its fur".

Cultural connotation

• Exorcise Evil and Avoid Disaster: The traditional folk custom of the Han nationality believes that lion dance can exorcise evil and ward off ghosts, and the lion dance is considered a auspicious talisman to exorcise evil and avoid disaster. Every time there is a festival or a major event, the lion dance will be performed to enliven the atmosphere, and it has been thriving and passed down from generation to generation.

• National spirit: The spirit of the lion dance symbolizes a strong and resilient national spirit, implying that even in the face of difficulties and obstacles, we should still face them head-on and be a valiant and unyielding lion dancer.

The current state of inheritance

• Protection measures: On May 20, 2006, the lion dance was included in the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage lists approved by the State Council. Various regions have also carried out the inheritance and development of lion dance culture in various ways, such as providing lion dance training, holding lion dance competitions, and promoting lion dance culture into schools.

• Innovative development: Some lion dance teams make innovations in performance forms, music creation, lion head making, etc., combining modern elements with traditional lion dance culture to make it more in line with the aesthetic needs of contemporary audiences.