The lion, a symbol of courage and strength, is an important part of traditional celebrations
The lion dance is a traditional activity to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The lion is a very important element in Chinese culture.
Lions did not exist in China and the incredible descriptions of lions by Chinese noblemen was mainly derived from their own imagination.
Lion sculptures can be found in front of temples across China. As a mythical creature, the lion is an auspicious symbol of valour, energy and wisdom. It also symbolises strength, goodness and the spirit of change.
The five colours of the lion in a lion dance - yellow, black, green, red and white - symbolise the five different directions which the lion has control over - north, south, east, west and centre.
The lion itself is a composite of five animals: the horn is from the phoenix, the ears and tail are from the unicorn, the spine is from the snake, the back of the head is from a tortoise and the beard is from the dragon.
The mirror on the forehead is for dispelling evil spirits.
The lion dance tradition dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 AD), when the dance was performed in a group of five lions of different colours.
Each lion was followed by about 12 men dressed in colourful costumes, with a red brush in their hands. They were called the 'lion men' and they danced to the tempo of tai pin music. The lion dance was initially a noble entertainment which gradually spread to the army and finally to the civilians.
There are many different stories about the origins of the lion dance. The most popular one is that once upon a time, a lion came to a small village and tried to harm the villagers and kill the domestic animals.
A kung fu expert went up the mountains to fight the lion, but failed to capture it.
Unable to take on the lion alone, he trained some of the villagers.
A few months later, they went up the mountain again and finally killed the lion. To celebrate the occasion, the villagers followed the steps of those who fought the lion and that was how the lion dance originated.
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