Photo: Kyle NishiokaLion Dance costume. Lions generally have one or two performers inside operating them.
Although it is thought to date back to the Ch'in and Han Dynasties (c. 300BC,) the true beginnings of the Chinese Lion Dance are a mystery. For a start, how did an animal not native to China become such a large part of Chinese tradition? One popular legend tells of a monk (or, in some versions of the story, an emperor) who dreamed that China was about to be plagued by many evils. On waking he prayed fervently to the gods for a way to avert the coming catastrophe, and was rewarded with a vision of a lion. Because the monk had never seen or heard of a lion before, he created his own from many other mythical creatures including the dragon and unicorn. This certainly explains why the 'lions' used in the dance don't look too much like real ones!
Photo: NikiSublimeA gold lion, representing 'vitality.' Cymbals and drums are played loudly to accompany the Lion Dances.
Another, slightly more realistic, account tells of an incident that happened during the reign of the fabled Jade Emperor. In this story the lion was a gift to the Emperor from a visiting Persian envoy. The Emperor was enchanted with the exotic animal but unfortunately could not tame its aggression. At the Emperor's bidding many people tried to calm and control the lion, but all failed. In the end, it was a wise and peaceful monk who eventually managed to pacify the savage beast. Proud of his new pet, the emperor displayed the lion all around the country to his incredulous subjects. Stories of the amazing animal spread, with the lion becoming more magical and less realistic with each and every telling. In time, the colourful and bizarre looking costumes of the lion dance emerged, a world away from their African namesakes. The monk who tamed (or created) the lion is often an accompanying character in Lion Dances today.
Still another legend describes the lion as originating in heaven. Rather than being a fierce creature, this lion was playful and a bit of a trickster. One day, the lion played one practical joke too many on the Jade Emperor, who in a fit of rage cut off the lion’s head. Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, witnessed the death of the lion and was filled with pity. She rejoined the lion’s head to his body, tying it back on with a magical red ribbon. Bringing him back to life she also gave the lion a mirror and horn on his head to drive away evil spirits. The ribbon, mirror and horn are all parts of the modern Lion Dance costumes.
These days, Lion Dances are most often performed during important festivals such as New Year, but they're often employed to bring good luck to new ventures such as the opening of a business or a wedding. Dance troupes perform a ceremony known as “Choi Ching” which not only brings luck to the house or premises they are visiting, but also monetary reward to the dancers. “Choi Ching” translates roughly as “plucking green vegetables,” in particular lettuce or cabbage which are known as “choi.” Choi are considered auspicious in China because the word sounds similar to the Chinese word for “fortune.”
Photo: NikiSublimeRed Lion Costume representing 'courage.'
During the Choi Ching ceremony the Choi and other auspicious fruits or vegetables are suspended, often from a window or balcony, with a red envelope containing money. It is said that the higher the envelope is hung, the greater the monetary reward it should contain. Sometimes removing the Choi can involve impressive acrobatics, such as balancing on poles or
human pyramids.
In some cases, two dance troops may compete for the right to take the Choi Ching through stylized combat. During the 1950s and 60s, this combat, meant to be mainly ceremonial, often turned nasty as different troops vied for the monetary prize. At one point it was even said that dancers would hide daggers in their costumes to slash rival groups with, leading Hong Kong to outlaw Lion Dances for a period of time. These days dance troops are composed of committed amateurs rather than professionals who rely on the red packets for income, and so are far less cut-throat.
Photo: Yuki YaginumaJapanese Lion Dance, with traditional black lacquered Lion head
The Chinese are not the only culture to stage Lion Dances, as different versions are also performed in Japan and Korea. There are striking differences in the styles of these other Lion Dances. Japanese Lions have wooden lacquered heads and a body normally of dyed green cloth, dancing either to flutes and drums or folk songs. Korean Lions have flat wooden faces and are devoid of the bright colours decorating Chinese and Japanese Lions. Regardless of the differences, Chinese, Japanese and Korean Lion Dances are all performed at similar occasions and for similar reasons, to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck.
Photo: hojusaramKorean Lion Dance costumes
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