The lion dance belongs to the southern lion in Chinese lion dance. It is an authentic folk dance of the Han nationality in Guangdong Province and a treasure in the Guangdong dance garden. Historically, it originated from the palace lion dance of the Tang Dynasty. After the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, as immigrants from the Central Plains moved southward, the lion dance culture was introduced to the Lingnan region. During the Ming Dynasty, lion awakening appeared in Guangdong and originated in Nanhai County. It is now popular among overseas Chinese in Guangdong, Guangxi and Southeast Asian countries; in Guangdong, it is mainly distributed in Foshan, Suixi, Guangzhou and other counties and cities. Guangdong lion awakening is considered a mascot to ward off evil spirits and avoid harm. During festivals or major events, lion awakening must be performed to add to the fun. It has been passed down from generation to generation. The following is an introduction I compiled just for you: Guangdong Lion Dance.

A brief introduction to Guangdong Lion Dance

Lion Dance is a cultural activity that integrates martial arts, dance, music, etc. During the performance, the gongs and drums are beating, and the lion dancers first perform a Southern Fist, which is called "Kaizhuang". Then two people dance as a lion, and the other person wears a smiling "big-headed Buddha" on his head and holds a big sunflower fan. The lion appears. Most of the lion dancer's movements are based on Nanquan horse steps. The lion movements include "opening eyes", "washing beard", "licking body", "shaking hair", etc. The main routines include "picking green grass", "drinking water from a high platform", "lion spitting balls", "stepping on plum blossom piles", etc. Among them, "Caiqing" is the essence of lion awakening, which has the process of origin, inheritance, transfer and integration, and is dramatic and story-telling. "Caiqing" has gone through changes and derived many routines, which are widely circulated. Suixi lion dance performances have gradually developed from traditional ground lions to bench lions, from bench lions to high platform lions, high pole lions, and from high pole lions to pile lions. The difficulty of the pile lion is also increasing, such as tightrope walking, air jumping and other performances. The tallest pile is nearly 3 meters, with a maximum span of 3.7 meters, which fully embodies the characteristics of "new, high, difficult and dangerous" and is known as "one of the unique features of China". The characteristics of the sandpit lion awakening props in Guangzhou are: the lion's head is high and narrow, the eyes are large and can rotate, the mouth is wide with a pen, the back is wide, the nose is flat, the cheeks are full, and the teeth can be hidden or exposed. There are three categories of performances: penny lion, lion dance and young lion. Through difficult movements such as soaring, moving, dodging, jumping, turning, and leaping on the ground or on piles, the lion's eight states of joy, anger, sadness, joy, movement, stillness, surprise, and doubt are performed to express the lion's power and strength.

Since the 1980s, almost every township has its own lion awakening troupe. All year round, the opening celebrations are accompanied by gongs and drums. During the holidays, the lion troupe goes to the streets to pick young people and tour. The popularity of lion dance among the masses in towns and villages is also unprecedented. Guangdong Lion Dance has become a nationally renowned folk dance brand unique to Guangdong. Lion awakening activities are also widely spread in overseas Chinese communities and have become a cultural bridge for overseas compatriots to recognize their ancestors and return to their ancestors. Its cultural value and significance are far-reaching.

The historical origin of lion dance in Guangdong

China's lion dance is divided into "Northern Lion" (Northern Lion) and "Southern Lion" (Southern Lion). "Northern Lion" has different shapes. "Southern Lion" looks similar. This is recognized by most experts, scholars, dancers, martial artists and the general public. According to the book "South China Sea Lion Awakening" compiled by Nanhai County, Guangdong: "There is no doubt that China's Awakening Lion ('Southern Lion,') was born out of the yellow lion in the north. 'Southern Lion' actually began sometimes, After searching through historical materials, there is no record, and its exact age cannot be determined. However, it is generally certain that it was spread from the Central Plains to the people in the Lingnan area after the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. "The author believes that this formulation has its merits. : Before Qin Shihuang unified China, the Lingnan region was still a backward primitive tribal society. Qin Shihuang unified China and brought farming, textile and other technologies to the Lingnan region, as well as the culture of the Central Plains. Later, in the tenth year of the founding of the Sui Dynasty, Nanhai County was established. Its jurisdiction included parts of today's Guangzhou City, Foshan City, Sanshui, Shunde and other places.

Historically, the Central Plains region was plagued by wars. People in the Central Plains region had three great migrations, and Lingnan was one of their main destinations. The migration of the people from the Central Plains to the south will inevitably bring the culture of the Central Plains and the lion dance that is loved by the people. This is logical. In the chapter "Lion Dance" in "A Collection of Chinese Ethnic and Folk Dances" (Guangdong Volume), it is said: "It is said that Foshan is the birthplace of lion dance.

"(Note: Foshan was originally under the jurisdiction of Nanhai County) We can get the answer to this from the material foundation of Nanhai County at that time and the craftsmanship of making lions. Nanhai County has been a prosperous land of fish and rice since ancient times. The land is fertile and rich in sericulture, fish cane; silk weaving , ceramic ware, hardware, bamboo and wood production, and paper crafts were very prosperous. During the Song Dynasty, Shiwan in Nanhai County was famous all over the country for its ceramic craftsmanship. It was known as "Shiwan tiles, the best in the world". During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Nanhai was famous for its ceramic craftsmanship. Foshan Town in the county, together with Hanyang Town in Hubei Province, Jingdezhen Town in Jiangxi Province, and Zhuxian Town in Henan Province, is also known as the "Four Famous Towns in China". According to the "Foshan Zhongyi Township Chronicle": "The Industrial Products Report submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce by Wudou Si in the 33rd year of Guangxu's reign". , the products of 'Lion Head Shop' are of excellent quality, and are ordered from the provincial government and overseas. Most of them are shopped on stone roads. "This clearly shows that the lion-making craftsmanship in Nanhai County at that time was the best among all places.

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The basic characteristics of Guangdong lion awakening

Production of lion awakening: Use bamboo leaves and paper as the main materials. First, tie the bamboo leaves into the shape of a lion's head and paste it with paper. The eyes, ears, mouth, etc. are movable, and pigs are glued on them. The most distinctive feature of the lion's shape is the extra horn on its head, which is said to avoid the yellow color that was reserved for the emperor to appreciate. The various taboos of the lion dance were created by the government. The heaviest lion head is 6.5 kilograms, and the lightest one is 3.5 kilograms. The lion dance is divided into four categories (also known as lion tail). The length of the lion is 4 meters. In order to dance flexibly, it is now 2.6-3 meters.

Types of lions: "There are many kinds of lions, one is the golden lion, also called the Taishi, which is used for greetings. It is generally not easy to use for guests or solemn social etiquette. Once he goes out, other lions will kneel down and kowtow to him. When golden lions meet, they have to nod each other's eyes. Then the golden lions kneel to each other and exchange invitations with their mouths before starting the lion dance again. In addition to the golden lion, there are black lions, red lions and colorful lions. It is said that they represent Zhang Fei, Guan Gong and Liu Bei respectively, reflecting different personalities, such as the black lion is mighty and fierce, the red lion is dignified, and the colored lion is gentle. "In addition, due to different shapes, people in various places have different names for the awakening lions: such as the big-headed lion in Nanhai, the duck-billed lion in Heshan County, the rooster lion in Qingyuan and Yingde, the parrot male lion in Leizhou Peninsula, etc.

The music of the lion dance: "Drum" is the main instrument of the lion dance. Together with gongs and coins, it forms a loud and overwhelming force. The strength, speed, rapidity and softness of the drum sound are important factors. According to the different routines and movements of the lion awakening dance, the drumming techniques, postures, and gesture patterns are very particular. There are three types of drum music: three-star drum, five-star drum, and seven-star drum. Set up for different routines and different actions. Drumming techniques, postures, and gesture patterns are very particular. There are three types of drum music: three-star drum, five-star drum and seven-star drum. "Just watching the Chinese lion dance drum band performance is a high artistic enjoyment." This was the media's evaluation when Nanhai Lion Dance participated in the International Lion Dance Competition in Malaysia in July 1990.

Movements and routines of the lion dance: According to old artists, the footwork of the lion dance completely adopts the Nanquan martial arts of Sipingma, Ziwuma, Qilin Step, Jumping Step, and Seat Pan Step (that is, the old tree step) Packing), turning over, rolling, etc. These movements are hard on the bridge and hard on the horse, strong and powerful, with stable footwork and rooted on the ground. Anyone who learns the lion dance must first learn Nanquan to lay the foundation. The performance procedure of the lion dance is: coming out of the cave, going down the mountain, crossing the bridge, drinking water, picking green leaves, falling asleep drunk, waking up drunk, going up the mountain, playing ball, playing with the big-headed Buddha and the lion. Picking green leaves is the climax. Caiqing is divided into "caigaoqing" and "caiguiqing". "Caidi Qing" is divided into water green, crab green, bridge bottom green, split-character green, etc. The routines are rich and colorful, with high skills and great difficulty. In addition, there are also unique activities such as "lion lantern", "lion spitting ball", "big-headed Buddha attracting lion" and the highly competitive "high pile lion", "plum blossom pile lion" and "lion tightrope" developed in modern times. .

The artistic style of Guangdong lion dance

There are many types of lion dance. To sum up, there are "Southern School" and "Northern School", which have different styles and characteristics. . The popular saying among the people is: "Northern Lion" originated from the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Lion dance was popular among the Hu people. It was carved out of wood and moved as part of sacrificial rituals. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, King Wu of Wei called it the "Auspicious Lion of the Northern Wei Dynasty". In addition to being a place of entertainment in the palace, it was also a way for the Hu people to relieve their homesickness. Affection. In the Southern Song Dynasty, it was called "Northern Lion".

?Southern lion? is popular in Guangdong, southern China. It is said that there is a monster that eats the harvests of farmers everywhere without harming people and animals. It often makes a sound of "nian nian", so people call it "nian beast". The nian beast has big eyes, wide mouth, tentacles on its head, and a kind character. The villagers regarded it as a sacred beast and did not dare to hunt it. Later, the villagers used the noise of firecrackers to scare away the "Nian Beast", and the people became calm again. Villagers congratulated each other on relatives and friends and designated this day as "New Year", symbolizing a new beginning. From then on, every New Year, people used bamboo to imitate the "Nian Beast", burned firecrackers and distributed red seals. Secondly, there are strict differences in shape between the southern style lion head and the northern style lion head. The northern style is based on realism. The Southern School is dominated by divine resemblance, which creates an exaggerated and romantic lion as its artistic image.

The Guangdong lion dance is the most representative of the Southern style lion dances. After the lion spread to various places, the holding method, dancing method and appearance were different according to local customs (especially in Malaysia, Singapore and other places). But it remains true to its origins. The appearance of a lion's head uses color to express its character, such as the red lion face of Guan Gong, while the image of Zhang Fei, with black and white face, green nose, iron horns and toothbrush beard, is expressed in a bold and rugged momentum.

The traditional lion dance in Guangdong emphasizes skills and martial arts skills, and usually consists of two or three people. One of them danced the lion head, another danced the lion tail, and the other danced the big-headed Buddha, holding a big sunflower fan as a guide. Behind him, there was a gong and drum team to cooperate. The lion's movements followed the fast, slow, light and heavy rhythm of the drums, creating a variety of postures. . There are more than 20 basic movements commonly used in lion dance, such as licking hair, scratching, exploring paths, playing in water, and coloring. The emotions include happiness, anger, sadness, joy, greed, doubt, jealousy, worry, fullness, and hunger. There are more than 20 kinds of gait shapes and steps, including Siping horse, Ziwu horse, open and close horse, and dragon riding. A highly skilled master can not only dance the various states of mind of the lion, but also express a set of storylines through difficult lion dance techniques. Only in this way can we truly achieve the superior kung fu of the Southern Lion Dance. The percussion music used with the lion during its performance includes drums, gongs and cymbals. Drumming is the heart and soul of lion dance.

Times are constantly developing, and today’s lion art, whether it is acting skills or lion heads and equipment, has undergone great changes. Internationally, there are certain restrictions on the length, shortness, height and lowness of equipment. The competition time is stipulated within 10 to 15 minutes, and the number of athletes is limited to 6 to 8. This makes the traditional lion dance move from popularization to Competitive, standardized and scientific.

Cultural content of Guangdong Lion Dance

Foshan is one of the ancient Chinese towns famous overseas and has a unique cultural tradition. It has been continuously passed down and refined by the times, gradually evolving into cultural characteristics that are rich in both cultural tradition and the spirit of the times. Lion dance is one of them?

Nanhai County, Guangdong Province, China, is the authentic birthplace of lion dance. As early as the early Ming Dynasty, Foshan Town, Nanhai County, known as one of the four famous towns in China, already had A skilled craftsman who specializes in making lion heads, lion quilts, gongs, drums and cymbals. Moreover, in the nearby markets and villages of Foshan Town, lion dance has become a traditional folk sport. Whenever there is a festival or major festive event (such as a villager passing the national examination, the completion of a new ancestral hall, etc.), it is definitely performed Awakening lions are dispatched to add to the fun. Later, this folk traditional activity gradually spread throughout the Guangdong and Guangxi regions of the South.

The southern lion looks like a lion, but it has an extra horn on its head. It looks like a lion but is different from a lion. The tip of the southern lion's horn is slightly bent forward instead of backward. This shape does not damage the lion's powerful image and has its own unique artistic style. It is not difficult to see that the characteristics of the lion and the unicorn are combined into a unique new type of lion. As we all know, the dynasties in China's feudal era had no objection to the common people who used the emperor's exclusive clothing, ceremonial guards, etc. It is regarded as "committing rebellion". His crimes ranged from bankrupting his family and property to killing nine clans at the most serious level.

Because the yellow lion dance was once a special dance exclusive to Emperor Li and Tang, the Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and other dynasties since the Tang Dynasty also regarded it as a "forbidden object", and no one dared to risk it. Disrespectful. But the lion dance was created by the working people after all. It is a traditional entertainment that combines artistry and sports. The people love it, so they have come up with a good way to avoid the relevant taboos. The image of the awakening lion is a lion but with an extra horn. If the government investigates it, it is called "Unicorn Dance", which makes the rulers confused. The yellow lion dance in the palace is initiated by a person holding a red whisk; while the awakening lion dance is initiated by a person pretending to be a big-headed Buddha holding a sunflower fan in his hand, and is not limited to any fixed methods such as "five colors" and "five directions". There are also The unique style of percussion music and techniques originated from the Yellow Lion Dance and is different from the Yellow Lion Dance. It has become an important traditional sports and entertainment activity in the Lingnan area. It shows its strong vitality. It is a new creation of the people and is loved by the people. favorite.

An influential figure in the history of lion awakening once appeared in Xiqiao Mountain in Nanhai. Xiqiao Mountain in Nanhai has outstanding people and a generation of martial arts warrior Huang Feihong was born at the foot of Xiqiao Mountain. The Southern Lion Dance initiated by Huang Feihong embodies the integrity of the Chinese nation and embodies a kind of national pride of pioneering, uniting, and not fearing hardships. The scene of Huang Feihong's battle for hegemony among the lions is reappeared every day in the memorial hall. Several young people with strong skills flashed and moved on the iron piles more than three meters high. The magical charm of the Southern Lion was vividly displayed in the dexterous movements, as if they had seen the glory of Huang Feihong again. It has extremely high ornamental value. Often the gongs and drums are noisy, and the lion appears on the stage. It walks vigorously and briskly, looks left and right, shakes its head, and looks extremely alert. It taps the ground with its four legs and approaches the iron pile with dizzying steps? Just as the onlookers blink. At that moment, the male lion suddenly jumped onto the iron stake, and then stood up, smiling proudly into the sky. The scales on the lion's body shone in the sun. People exclaimed for a while, and then saw the lion turning back sharply, landing on the pile with all four feet, taking smart steps in the rhythmic drumbeat, rising and jumping on the iron pile more than three meters high, as if walking on flat ground, while speaking , the drum sound suddenly stopped, the lion suddenly jumped forward, with all four legs in the air. When it landed on the stake, its front feet fell, and the whole lion body plummeted downwards. Some people in the audience blindfolded their eyes and couldn't bear to watch anymore, and saw the lion again. When he landed in the middle of the iron pile, he suddenly clamped the iron pile with his front feet to stabilize his falling body. After staying for a moment, he suddenly used the force of his hind legs to jump onto the iron pile, and then ended the performance with a dashing appearance. . There was a wave of applause from the audience.

The lion dance was not only popular back then, it is also very popular now. With the reform and opening up, Guangdong lion dance teams have spread throughout urban and rural areas of Guangdong, and the influence of lion dance is increasing day by day. It combines ornamental, artistic and competitive qualities, and has strong auspicious and festive colors as well as the ability to enhance the atmosphere. Even overseas Chinese have established lion awakening teams to interpret the legendary color. As time goes by, the spirit of lion dance is more and more spread, and lion dance gradually becomes a trend!

The treasure of Guangdong lion dance garden

Lion dance belongs to Chinese lion dance The Southern Lion in the dance is an authentic Guangdong folk dance and a treasure in the Guangdong Dance Garden. Historically, it originated from the palace lion dance of the Tang Dynasty. After the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, as immigrants from the Central Plains moved southward, the lion dance culture was introduced to the Lingnan region. During the Ming Dynasty, lion awakening appeared in Guangdong and originated in Nanhai County. It is now popular among overseas Chinese in Guangdong, Guangxi and Southeast Asian countries; in Guangdong, it is mainly distributed in Foshan, Suixi, Guangzhou and other counties and cities. Guangdong lion awakening is considered a mascot to ward off evil spirits and avoid harm. During festivals or major events, lion awakening must be performed to add to the fun. It has been passed down from generation to generation.

Current status and inheritance of lion dance in Guangdong

Lion dance has a broad mass base among the people of Guangdong. Since the reform and opening up, lion dance teams as a traditional project have sprung up like mushrooms after a spring rain. There are more than 1,800 lion dance teams from 17 towns and county agencies and enterprises in the Nanhai area; Dali Town Lantern Festival in 1990 At the "Lettuce Party" held, more than 500 lion dance teams came to celebrate; every primary school in Lishui Town has a youth lion dance team; there are also some lion dance teams organized by families in various towns in Nanhai County. It is common for three generations of lion dancers to join the team.

Additionally, there is the Women’s Lions team.

Guangdong’s lion dance is not only famous domestically, but also famous overseas. Overseas Chinese have the custom of lion dance. In recent years, many overseas Chinese and foreigners have gone to lion dance halls in the Nanhai area to learn lion dance and practice martial arts. This fully demonstrates the charm of Chinese national art and the spirit of self-improvement. We must make every effort to carry forward this excellent cultural and artistic tradition of lion dance.

The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20, 2006, Guangdong Lion Dance was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.