Pearls of Wisdom

The Legend: The Lion Saves an Emperor

Lion Dancing originated during the Tang Dynasty (619-906 AD). Legend has it that the emperor had a dream one night in which he was attacked by demons, and a lion saved his life. Having saved the emperor in his dream, the lion quickly became a symbol of good luck and prosperity throughout China.

Today, Lion Dancing is still the most important part of opening ceremonies for cultural events and businesses. It is also a significant ceremony during Chinese New Year and various festivals, for the lion dance evokes good luck throughout the year.

The History: Lion Dancing and Revolution

Most commonly associated with the Chinese New Year’s Celebrations, lion dancing gained its greatest fame during the Ching Dynasty when Chinese patriots formed rebellions against their Manchu overlords. Lion Dancing was performed from village to village under the guise of a celebration. During the celebration the dancing lion would eat a head of lettuce that secretly contained money and information hidden in its leaves. In revolutionary days, the dancer holding the lion’s head would cry out “Choi Chiang” or “Get the Green” to signal that he was a fellow revolutionary and could receive secret messages. “Choi Chiang” is still used today as the traditional lion dancer’s expression when he goes after the symbolic lettuce and good luck money (Hung Bao).

The Performance: The Lion Dance Team

The lion dance is performed by two dancers who spring about while energetically moving and shaking the lion’s body bringing good luck to all in attendance. The first person controls the front and is responsible for movement of the jaws, eyes, ears, and head, while the second person controls the rear and is responsible for wagging the tail and acting as a base for stacks. The two dancers work as a team to create the personality of the lion—playful, aggressive, or curious—often performing difficult footwork and stances, and acrobatic leaps and stacks. The most common colors of lions are the golden lion (representing liveliness), the red lion (representing courage), and the green lion (representing friendship). Drums, gongs, cymbals, and firecrackers traditionally accompany the dance and provide a musical backdrop for the story being told.

The Modern Times:  Lion Dancing and White Dragon Martial Arts

Traditional Chinese Lion Dancing is an integral part of Southern Kung Fu training and is an important tradition in Chinese Culture. Choy Li Fut Kung Fu practitioners have been using Lion Dance to improve their leg strength, flexibility, and stamina since our styles creation in 1836. The White Dragon Lion Dance Team has become one of the most active Lion Dance teams in San Diego County. The team performs at many community events and festivals here in San Diego including the San Diego Chinese New Year Parade, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and the Linda Vista Multicultural Parade. The White Dragon Lion Dance Team is also a favorite for business grand-openings, weddings, anniversaries and school events.

To learn more about Kung Fu and Chinese Lion Dance in San Diego visit: whitedragonmartialarts.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 6:42 pm and is filed under Kung Fu Kickboxing MMA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.