Brief History of Lion Dance

According to legend, lion dance dates back about 2000 years in Chinese history and there are many versions as to how lion dance arrived. One popular theory was that a beast terrorized a village in China. After awhile, the villagers were fed up with the beast thus they came together with an idea. The idea they have was to make a beast from paper mache and some noise making musical instrument like gongs, drums and cymbals to scare away the beast. The idea they had worked thus the villagers celebrated with firecrackers. Thus the belief of lion dancing is to bring good luck and prosperity while driving away the evil.

Therefore, lion dance performance have been a common sight in Chinese culture whether it's Chinese New Year, grand openings, or special functions. The lion dance performance generally depicts a lion stalking for food (lettuce) along with a 'lai see' (red pocket) containing money which express the gratitude for the blessing. After eating the lettuce, the lion regurgitate the greens back to the business or audience which signifies the showering of good luck.

Another character of the lion dance performance is the 'Laughing Buddha'. The role of the 'Laughing Buddha' is to taunt and to play with the lion(s).

Lion dance is divided into two styles of lions. One is the Northern lion and the other is the Southern lion. The Northern lion is furry gold and red. Whereas, the Southern lion have many different colours and not as furry. The Souther lion itself is divided into two groups. The traditional lion is the 'Fut Shan lion'. These lions is much fierce looking with a reversed curve mouth and a pointed horn on its head. The other type of lion is the 'Hok Shan lion' with a narrower head and a mouth that looks like a duck bill.