Introduction

The lion dance is a long-standing Chinese tradition. Even today, the lion dance endures as an ever-celebrated facet of Chinese culture.
Traditionally, the lion was used to frighten demons from local businesses and communities, and help bring good fortune to all. Today, the tradition endures by commemorating a host of festivals and opening ceremonies.
At Hong Luck Kung Fu Club, we continue to advance this tradition by sharing it with those who are interested in its beauty and athleticism.
The lion represents the "spirit" of every Chinese martial arts school. The art of the lion dance has been passed down from master to student for generations. The quality of the lion dance is dependent on the ability of the performers' ability to visualize and improvise dramatic movements that mimic a lion. The heavy lion head builds the performer's shoulders and arms physically, while the person portraying the tail must have a strong back and legs because they are bent over most of the time. Both positions improve stamina, balance, and coordination. Most of the footwork is derived from kung fu stances, foot movements, and kicks.
Lion dance routines are dynamic and acrobatic. The physical and mental demands of high-level routines are so great that there are now lion dance competitions held annually throughout the world!

History and Origins of Lion Dance

During the long revolutionary resistance against the Ch'ing government, the martial arts community often used their lion dance to communicate with the other Chinese patriots.

Although no real lions ever existed in China, lions and the tradition of lion dance have existed in Chinese culture and history for thousands of years. Chinese lions bear very little resemblance to real lions, however, they play an important role in Chinese folklore. Lions are portrayed as peaceful creatures that are considered divine animals of nobility and dignity. They symbolize strength, courage and wisdom.

In absence of records, there are several versions of the history and origin of the lion dance.

A popular belief is that the lion dance finds its roots in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-906). Legend has it that the emperor had a strange dream one night. In his dream, an odd creature he had never laid eyes upon before saved his life and carried him to safety. The next day, wondering what this creature was and what the dream meant, the emperor described his reverie to his ministers. One of the ministers explained that the strange creature resembled an animal called a "lion", which did not exist in China at the time. The emperor, wanting to see this "lion" while awake, ordered them to create a model of it, and because of his dream, the lion came to symbolize good luck, happiness, and prosperity.

Another account tells of a lion frequently terrorising a small village in China. In order to stop the attacks of the beast, all the villagers banded together and beat their pots and pans to make a racket that could drive away the lion. It is said some even put on costumes that resembled the lion. Other versions of this account tell of the villagers consulting a Buddhist monk for protection. The monk eventually tamed the lion, which in turn became the protector of the people. This monk is often represented as a big - headed Buddha (dai to fut), as seen in most southern lion dances.

Probably, the most credible version of the origin of the lion dance is this. of a mythical lion originating in heaven was reborn. Being very mischievous and having a fondness for practical jokes, he created a great deal of trouble for everyone. On one occasion, he decided to play a practical joke on the Jade Emperor. Angered at the trouble the lion caused, the Jade Emperor killed the lion by cutting the lion's head off and separating it from its body. He then threw both the head and the body of the lion down to the earth to rot. Upon discovering the fate of the lion, Kwan Yin (the goddess of mercy) felt sorry for the lion and decided to help him. Using a long red ribbon, she tied the lions head back on and brought him back to life. This red ribbon is still seen today, and is said to have the ability to ward off the evil spirits. Kwan Yin also adorned the lion with a horn and mirror to drive away evil spirits.

Hoi Gong (Eye dotting) ceremony

Hence, every new lion head must be blessed by a ceremonial awakening of the lion. This ceremony is known as "Hoi Gong", or the "Eye Opening/Dotting". Traditionally, a new lion should not be used if it has not experienced Hoi Gong. This ceremony involves painting the eyes of the lion before the start of the lion dance in order to awaken its spirit. Through this, the lion is given birth into the world. It is believed that any lion used at any kind of event without being blessed or awakened will bring misfortune and bad luck.

The following is a brief description of the proceedings of the "Hoi Gong" ceremony at Hong Luck Kung Fu Club:

The brand new lion is laid in front of the ancestral altar. The lion dance performers go under the lion head. They keep their eyes and mouths shut tightly. They must remain motionless, as the lion has not been given life yet. Traditionally, a priest/monk begins the ceremony by chanting prayers to heavenly gods, and summons the spirit and soul of the lion from the heaven down into the lion. In most cases, an honoured guest of high stature or a notable public figure, i.e. mayor, MP, head of associations, etc., performs the "Hoi Gong" ceremony on the Hong Luck premises.

First, incense is placed on the ancestral altar. Then, a new Chinese calligraphy brush is dipped into a ginger root that contains symbolic blood or red ink cinnabar, known as "ji-sah". The dotting begins with the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and tongue, then continues with the horns down the spine all the way to the tail.

Traditionally, the blood from a live rooster's comb was used in the ceremony. According to Chinese tradition, red is regarded as a life giving colour as well as being associated with good fortune and prosperity. The rooster symbolizes maleness/positive, also known as the yang element, which represents life and power.

A red ribbon is then tied on to the lion's horn, which is a symbol of courage and honour, and signifies that the lion is tamed. The red ribbon is also a reminder for the lion to do only good deeds.

The awakening of the lion continues on with the rolling of the drums, clanging of gong and cymbals, and crackling of firecrackers. At this point, the lion begins to open its eyes, flutters its ears, then the mouth opens and it begins to breathe. The lion then yawns, which is followed by biting and scratching. Upon gaining full awareness, the lion tries to get on its feet in a staggering manner. Initially, the lion moves slowly and sloppily as it is trying to get a feel for its feet. The beating of the drums intensifies a little. As soon as the lion is fully awakened, it performs three ceremonial bows to the altar. In appreciation of its rebirth, the lion then dances happily to the rhythm of the beats of the drum, gong, and cymbals. Now the lion is ready to perform!

Types of lions

Northern and Southern lions differ somewhat is their attire and behaviour. Both types of lions have heads that are made of paper mache and bamboo. The bamboo frame is held together with twine or wire.

The Northern lion resembles the animal itself. Its body is covered with golden or red coloured hair, which covers the performers fully. The movement of the Northern lion bears similar characteristics as an actual lion.

The Southern lion, on the other hand, has a multi-coloured head and long linen tail that drapes over the performer. The colour of the lion is determined by which character it portrays from the story of "3 Sworn Brothers", from the novel of the Three Kingdoms. General Liu Bei, the first and oldest brother, is the most auspicious, revered, and sincere. General Kwan Kung, the second brother, is dignified, loyal, and courageous, while General Chang Fei is the most ferocious and brave hearted, with a love for battle. A lion that portrays General Liu Bei has a golden-yellow face, white beard, and brightly coloured tail which usually combines yellow, green, light blue, and bright red. A lion portraying General Kwan Kung has a red face, black beard, and a red and black coloured tail. The General Chang Fei lion has a green or black face with black beard, and usually boasts a black and green, or black and white, coloured tail.

Amongst these variations, there are 2 styles of lion heads. The one that has a curve shaped mouth and a large face is the "Fut Shan" style lion head, while the one with a flat or duckbill shaped mouth is the "Hok Shan" style lion head.

The Liu Bei lions are most often used for performances to bring good luck and prosperity in various events, functions, new business opening, etc.

Performing the lion dance

The lion dance is performed by 2 dancers: one dancer is carries the lion head and the other dancer goes behind the head to form the tail. The quality of the lion head performance entirely depends on the skill of the dancer. The dancer under the head has to manipulate strings and levers to blink the eyes, flutter the ears, and open the mouth. The combination of these actions brings the lion head to life. The movement of the head must be coordinated with the footwork. Simultaneously, the dancer underneath the tail, whose back is bent, has to coordinate his steps with those of the lion head performer, and must flutter the body of the lion to add life. All this footwork and movement must be done in correct rhythm to the beats of the drum, gong, and cymbals. The lion dancers can display different emotions of a lion: sleeping, waking up, scratching, stretching, playing, eating, jumping, and resting. These movements require a great deal of physical ability, balance, agility, and stamina. In some schools, a teaser (dai to fut) is used to play with the lion and takes the lion through its tricks. The tricks can vary in difficulty. It can be as simple as roaming the streets, and as challenging as picking the green or cheng from as high as the 2nd floor of a building. 'Picking the Green' (choi cheng) is the climax of any lion dance event. "Cheng" or "Green" refers to a vegetable that is bound together with a piece of string or cord to a red money envelope. To pick the Green dangling from the 2nd floor of a building requires a lot of skill. This is the time when the skills and prowess of a kung fu school are tested. There are occasions where the lion is presented with obstacles, like picking the green out from water, or eating the green which may be surrounded by snakes. The solution to these obstacles must follow the etiquette and protocol of lion dancing. One must be knowledgeable to execute the procedures and sequences.

Etiquette and Protocols of Lion dancing

1) The lion must perform three bows at the beginning and at the end of each lion dance performance. Bowing is a sign of courtesy.
2) If the lion comes across an ancestral altar in any occasion, the lion must perform three bows to salute the altar.
3) Lions of different kung fu schools are considered as lions from different clans, as in nature. On an occasion when a lion encounters another face to face not in its clan, each lion must lower their heads in order to avoid conflict between the schools. Usually, the teacher (sifu) of each school will push each of their lion heads down while walking past the other lion. Raising the lion head in the presence of another lion from a different kung fu school is considered to be a sign of disrespect to the other school.
4) While roaming the streets, the drum must be sheltered from enemies. Traditionally, the drummer carries a knife for protection.
5) When the lion comes across a doorway, it must sniff the doorframe to ensure that it is not a trap.