Lion dance  is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic the lion’s movements in a lion costume.

The lion costume may be operated by a single dancer, who springs about while energetically moving and shaking the head and operating the jaws and eyes, or by a pair of dancers, forming the back and fore legs of the beast. The use of a pair of dancers is seen perfected in the exhibitions of Chinese acrobats, with the two dancers forming as a team the motions of a single animal as they move between platforms of varying elevations. The dance is traditionally accompanied by gongs, drums and firecrackers, representing the descent of good luck.

History

The lion is traditionally regarded as a guardian creature in Chinese culture. It is featured in Buddhist lore, being the mount of Manjusri.

There are two distinct kinds of lion dance in China, the northern and southern lion dance. The northern lion are usually red, orange or yellow in colour and is shaggy in appearance. The southern lion is more symbolic, exhibiting more variety of colour and has a distinctive head with large eyes and a single horn at center of the head.

The northern lion has had a history of close to a thousand years.

Northern

In the north the lions usually appear in pairs. The one with a red bow on its head is a male, the one with a green bow is a female. Northern lions sometimes appear as a family, when a pair of large adults is accompanied by a pair of small, young lions. Ninghai, in Ningbo, is called the “Homeland of the Lion Dance”  for the northern variety. The northern hornless lions are believed to be Fu Dogs.

Southern

Guangdong is the homeland of the southern variety. The southern horned lions are believed to be Nians.

When the dancing lion enters a village or township, it is supposed to pay its respects first at the local Buddhist temple, then to the ancestors at the ancestral hall, and finally through the streets to bring happiness to all the people. There are three types of lions: the golden lion, representing liveliness; the red lion, representing courage; and the green lion, representing friendship.

Three other famous lion types can also be identified: Liu Bei, Guan Gong (Kuan Kung) and Zhang Fei. They represent historic characters in China that were recorded in the classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The Liu Bei lion has a yellow face and white fur, and a seven-coloured body. He is depicted as the wisest lion.

The Guan Gong lion has a red face and body, and black fur. He is depicted as the most noble lion.

The Zhang Fei lion has a black body and black fur. He is depicted as the most aggressive lion.

The dance is performed usually at Chinese New Year or other important occasions, or instance, opening ceremonies, weddings.