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Northern Lion
The
Lion
Dance
Southern Lion
The "Sin Choi Tong Chi"
(little Buddha) ushers in prosperity
Malaysians have grown up with the familiar sights and sounds of firecrackers, crisp new banknotes
tucked into red packets, reunion dinners, delicious yee sang and kumquat trees that represent
Chinese New Year. Although some of the finer points of the festive celebration have given way
to new activities like travel, no matter where one is, the distant rumble of drums and the
clashing of cymbals of a lion dance will immediately bring forth a sense of childhood nostalgia.
The dragon dance needs at least 10 participants
to perfect the act
Dating back a thousand years, the origins of the lion dance have been clouded by a number of
legends. Some say that the lion was made the emperor's guardian after it appeared in his dream,
while others proclaimed it a saviour when a mythical creature that took the shape of a lion
fought off the evil demon that threatened a village. However the story goes, the age-old tradition
still assumes a significant role in today's society, where performances are held to bless
marriages, consecrate temples and spread good fortune to households and new businesses.
Percussion instruments accompany the dance
A symbolic aspect of the Chinese cultural arts, the lion dance covers two categories, namely the
Northern and the Southern lion. The former is easily distinguishable by its cutesy Pekinese dog
look and long orange mane. The more popular Southern lion, which features either the Hoe San or
Fatt Shan style, is made from brightly coloured pieces of linen and soft white fur that decorate
the body, head and tail. Malaysian-made lion heads are currently the most popular in the world,
notwithstanding the fact that it is also our country that holds some of the finest lion-dance
teams to grace the globe.
A troupe member assumes the role of Superman
A magnificent swirl of colours against the jet black sky
