Lion dancers celebrate 10th anniversary of HK´s return

Source: CCTV.com | 06-11-2007 11:21

In Hong Kong, lion dance teams from China, Singapore and Malaysia have gathered to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the region's return to China. The traditional lion dances are performed to bring luck and ward off evil spirits.

This is the Southern Lion, enacted by two dancers. One handles the head, made out of strong but light materials, and the other plays the body and the tail under a piece of cloth that is attached to the head. They simulated the pictures of the lion going in and out of the cave and climbing up the hill on stilts more than two meters high.

All the participants are famous and they've won international prizes. They say that Hong Kong's anniversary has brought Chinese lion dance lovers together.

Singaporean participant, said, "We're celebrating Hong Kong's return in this way."

Guo Wenlong, HK participant, said, "We hope Hong Kong will be lively and progressive like this lion."

Lions play an important role in Chinese mythology, and represent joy and happiness. The Chinese lion dance goes back some one thousand years.

Simply, they're divided into two types: Southern and Northern. Northern Lions are popular to the north of the Yangtze River. With their fiery manes, they look more like the real thing than Southern ones, and usually appear in pairs.

But it's southern lions dancing alone like these that are better known abroad. They're famous for their thrilling and and more powerful perforamance and often appear on stilts. These are famous in the south, and in places like Singapore and Malaysia, but they've also become well known around the world.

Nowadays, the lion dance can be seen worldwide on major Chinese festivals and even weddings.

Editor:Du Xiaodan