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Chinese Lion Dance in Hong Kong
THE NEXT time you see a Chinese lion dance, have respect for the lion dancers. For they aren't really dancers. Instead they are highly-skilled Chinese Boxers. These martial artists have years of dedicated training behind them before they are allowed to do the ceremonial lion dance.
The whole affair
is extremely noisy in the best Chinese tradition
- with pounding drums, clashing cymbals and brass gongs and, traditionally,
exploding red firecrackers.
Chinese lion dance ceremonies
are performed on special occasions, such as weddings, the Chinese Lunar New Year,
or on the opening of a new business venture such as a shop or a
restaurant.
The purpose was originally to drive away evil spirits and
bring good luck. The owners of the
businesses will tape or hang an envelope of money high
up on the wall above the shop's entrance, and the
dragon dancers go round to the shop - and with much
banging of drums, the Chinese dragon "eats" the money
packet and throws shredded lettuce around the sidewalk
to "prove" that the green money/food has been
accepted.
There are basically two kinds of
ceremonial Chinese lions... the Southern lion and the
Northern lion. The southern lion is often red or black
with painted-on "scales". While the northen lions are
golden yellow in color, and have a coat of long
(artificial) hair. The north Chinese lions are also
cheeky and amusing, with many funny actics to
watch.
This photo is of a lion dance, and was snapped in the courtyard
of the Civil Aid Services headquarters building next
to the Kowloon City Police Station on Argyle Street.
(I used to often eat lunch in the canteen there while
I was at school nearby.)
The colorful Chinese "lion"
has two men inside, but time and again over
the years I see people call it a dragon dance. It is
not a dragon dance. It is a lion dance. A Chinese
dragon dance has a dozen or more martial arts
students holding a long dragon high
above their heads, held up by bamboo
poles.
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