The lion, with his strength, represents a powerful figure that protects the villagers from evil spirits and the devil. In traditional Chinese culture the lions are seen as peaceful creatures and widely considered as divine animals of nobility and dignity. Through out Chinese history the lion has been used to symbolic strength, courage and wisdom.

Lions are also thought to bring strength, balance and health to the village and its people. Buddhists and many others use it to represent courage, energy and wisdom. In this context the Chinese consider the lion to be a peaceful creature, unlike the fierce tiger which is native to China. Lion dance performance have been a common sight in Chinese culture whether it's Chinese New Year, grand openings, or special functions.

Since the 3rd century AD pair of guardian lion statues, can often been seen in front of official buildings and temple's to protect these premises. The pair is often made up of a male lion on the right and a female lion on the left. The right paw of the male lion rests on an ornamental ball and under the left paw of the female lion is a cup. The number of curls on the head of these lions depends on the rank of the officials whose premises they are guarding.

A long time ago a strange creature appeared in China and it terrorized a village in China; it horrified and ate men and animals. The fast and fierce creature was called "nian", which sounds like the Chinese word for "year".  After awhile, the villagers were fed up with the beast thus they came together with an idea. The idea they have was to make a beast from paper mache and some noise making musical instrument like gongs, drums and cymbals to scare away the beast. The idea they had worked thus the villagers celebrated with firecrackers. Thus the belief of lion dancing is to bring good luck and prosperity while driving away the evil.

Others say that there was a Kung-Fu expert who learnt of beast and went into the forested mountain to fight with it. He fought with the lion on three occasions but was unable to capture it.  So he called up some of the villagers and trained them in martial arts with the intention to kill the lion.  A few months later, they went up to the mountain again and finally they killed the lion. The villagers, in order to celebrate this occasion, followed the steps of those who fought with the lion and thus the 'lion dance' was composed.

Another version says that the villagers asked the fox and the tiger for help; but neither of them could fight the "nian" effectively and in despair the people asked the lion for help. The lion shook his mane, rushed towards the creature and wounded it. The nian hurried away with the tail between its legs. But it announced to return to take its revenge.  A year later, the nian returned as promised. This time, the lion could not help the people. He was too busy guarding the emperor's gate. So the villagers decided to do the job themselves. Out of bamboo and cloth they produced an image of the lion. Two men crawled inside it and approached the nian. The "lion" pranced and roared and the monster fled away again. This is the reason why on the eve of the Chinese New Year, lions always dance. They are frightening evil away for yet another year. From the fourth day to the fifteenth of the New Year, lion dance groups would tour from village to village in traditional China.

Another account of this same story tells that the beast itself was a tiger and that the villagers didn't now how to stop the lion's attacks so they went to ask for the help of a Buddhist monk. It is said that the monk tamed the lion which in turn     became the protector of the people. This monk is often represented by big headed Buddha (Datou Fu), seen usually in most southern lion dances.
 

Another legend of the introduction of lion dance in China is closely related to an emperor of China. The shortest legend says that an ancient emperor was given a pet lion from travelers from Africa, and after it died the emperor's court did its best to create a creature like that lion to perform for the emperor.

Another common legend tell us  that an emperor had a dream one night while travelling to the south. In that dream in which a  mystical creature, from whose middle of the head a horn was protruding, saved his life. In the dream he became separated from his army and lost, with no food or drink he began to panic. The creature protected him and guided him back to the palace. The creature looked at him and then with sparkling eyes disappeared as surprisingly as it had emerged. When the emperor woke up the next morning he decided that from that moment onwards that creature was to be considered as king of the animals. Immediately he gathered his servants, artists and craftsmen around him and began to search for a possible meaning of his dream. His subordinates later concluded that this creature could have been a lion, who wanted to let the emperor know that he was of the same rank as the emperor. From that time onwards the emperor called that animal "Ruishi". Since the strange animal saved the emperor in his dream, the lion quickly became a symbol of good luck throughout China.

 It tells the story of lion originated in heaven. The story goes that the this mythical character was very mischievous and a practical joker which created a great deal of trouble. On one occasion he decide to play a practical joke on the Jade Emperor. He was furious because of all the trouble caused by the lion and this was the last draw. He killed the lion by cutting the lions head off separating it from its body. It is said he than threw both the head and the body of lion down to the earth to rot. However not long after this incident, Guan Yin felt sorry for the lion and decided to help him. Using a long red ribbon she tied the lions head back on and brought him back to life. This red ribbon is still seen today is said to have the ability to scare off the evil spirits. Guan Yin also gave the lion a horn to fight with and a mirror to frighten away the evil spirits.

The Northern Lion tends to be more dancing and acrobatic while the Southern Lion is more martial and powerful. The southern lion makes dramatic head thrusts to the sound of drums and gongs; the northern lion makes great use of its prancing legs in its dance. Today, however, the most popular lion dancing is Southern Lion in a Northern Style. Southern lion/northern dancing combines some of the best of both categories of lion dancing. Southern lions now commonly perform some of the highly difficult techniques that once were done mainly by their northern brothers.

There basically two popular styles of northern Lion. The twin lions of Hebei and the single Qing Lion of Anhui province. The Hebei lion dance is usually performed by pair of lions, while Qing lion uses uses a single lion. These two types of lion dance can still be seen in many places. Each lion is performed by two dancers, while a smaller version of this lion also exists, which is controlled by a single performer.

Historically, the Northern lion was performed by acrobats for the entertainment of government officials and the emperor. That's why the style of dancing was very acrobatic and theatrical. The music also sounds more northern, with more influence of beijing opera . Even today, the easiest way to see a northern lion dance is to watch an acrobatics show, where the performance is started or concluded with a lion dance.

The dance of the northern Lion is done in perfect coordination with the rhythmic beating of the accompanying musical instruments. a warrior who holds a ball of ribbon also guides the lion in its display of acrobatic stunt, such as flip, jump or roll.

Due to the early existence of the Northern Lion, there are several speculation behind its origin. One legend claims that during the time of Northern Wei dynasty, a man from an ethnic tribe of Hu brought to central China a ritual dance that uses a wooden head mask portraying a mythical beast. Soon this dance was presented to the emperor, which to the delight of the emperor proclaimed this dance "The Northern Wei Auspicious Lion". During the time of the Northern and Southern Song , the lion was known simply as the Northern Lion.

This lion is a lot lighter than the Foshan lion which makes it ideal for beginners or younger performers because it is easier to carry and to use. Apart from it being very light it is also ideal for a beginner because its footwork and stances are very easy to learn and it doesn't require one to be trained in martial arts.
 

The legendary Huang Fei Hong (Wong Fei Hung) was extremely well know for his excellent lion dance and was sometimes referred to as the "King Of Lions".

Some of the martial artists who did the lion dance were fugitives from government oppression, and they ended up hiding with Chinese opera performers on boats that traveled from town to town. The painted faces of lions began to take on some of the characteristics of the painted faces of opera performers.  Even the balls on modern southern lions trace their origins to opera performers who commonly adorned their headdresses with the same kinds of silk balls.

The lion dance also plays an important role in the consecration of temples and other buildings, at business openings, planting and harvest times, official celebrations, and religious rites.

Lion heads are constructed of papier mache applied over a frame of wicker and rattan. Some of the modern heads use aluminum and plastic in their construction, to reduce the weight of the head. Within the head are bamboo levers and pull-strings that allow the lead dancer who carries the lion head to manipulate the lion's mouth, eyes, and ears for expression of moods. The lion dance involves many different routines where the lion expresses different emotions. Some of these are namely, sleepy lion, happy lion, angry lion, suspicious lion, joyful lion, drunk lion etc.
A long sheet of bright, multi-colored cloth forms the body and tail of the lion.

When the lion bares the five colors yellow, black, green, red and white, it is said to have control over the five cardinal directions; North, South, East, West and Heaven. The costume is composed of many symbolic shapes. The bird shaped horn represents the phoenix. The ears and tail are of the unicorn. The protruding forehead, adorned with a mirror which deflects evil forces, and the long beard are characteristic of Asian dragons.

 

The multi (7) color faced lion represents General Liu Bei; sometimes this lion is also reffered to as the white or yellow lion. This lion which has a long white beard and brow with a body having five colors. This lion is called 'Rui Shi' or auspicious lion. He is the oldest and the wisest of all of the  three. This yellow faced lion shows general Liu Bei's intelligence, bravery and kindness. It symbolizes wisdom, intellect and integrity.

The red faced lion with black beard and brow, green nose, red and black colored body is called 'Xing Shi' or awakened lion. This lion represents the famous Chinese general Lord Guan, it shows General Guan bravery, righteousness and loyalty which he is known for. The red faced lion also represents happiness, good luck and prosperity.

The youngest out of all three is the General Zhang Fei who is represented by the black lion which looks a lot more fierce than the other two lions. The black lion has a short black beard and represents General Chang Fei's bravery and strength. It is movements are quick, sharp and energetic. It symbolizes youth and courage. This lion is used by newly established schools which hasn't been around for long.

Two dancers (Buddha's) perform as the lion: one dancer carries the head, the other becomes the lion's tail. Both lion dancers must work especially on stance training to improve their strength. The big headed Buddha is usually quiet acrobatic and can be male or female who acts as the caretaker or tamer of the lion. The person who performs the role of big headed Buddha wears a big pink mask with a big smile, which is why some people call him the laughing Buddha. The big headed Buddha usually wears a traditional costume and carries a fan or a ball which he uses to play with and tease the lion.

The heavy lion head requires a dancer with strong shoulders and arms. The lion head is characterized by quick, lively movements, and is often raised high above the dancer. The movement of the mouth, eyes and ears helps to establish the lion's basic attitude. The footwork used by the lead dancer incorporates all of the various Martial Art stances and kicks.

The dancer performing in the lion tail is equally important, as lions have four legs. He must duplicate the lead dancer's stances while remaining in an awkward, stooped posture with restricted vision. The dancer in the lion tail must have a strong back and legs in order to perform bent over the entire time.  This dancer may also be called upon to raise the lead dancer high in the air, performing as a lion on "hind legs".

The dancers should display through the lion the general emotions of excitement, anger, sadness, happiness, fear, suspicion, greed and worry. There are some basic reactions for the lion, a few examples are: when seeing green (vegetables) it should be happy: upon seeing the color red, it should be surprised; when crossing over a bridge, it should try to see his own reflection in the water; when there is wood, it should bite it and when there is a post, it should try to climb it.

Traditional lion dance performances also include the lighting of firecrackers to scare away the evil sprits. Although this is not very common in many western countries due to the legal issues, it is still done in many parts of south east Asia. Another feature in the southern lion is the laughing Buddha or big headed Buddha (Datou Fo) who guides the lion and brings out laughter from the spectators with his funny antics. He handles a a fan or a giant ball. The lion dance team consists of at least 5 people or 6 people if the team has the big headed Buddha. The two members of the team perform the actual lion dance. The other three members of the team plays the musical instruments. One plays the drum, one for the gong and one for the cymbal. Although many teams don't use the big headed Buddha, the big headed Buddha is an integral part of the lion dance.

The lion dance performance generally depicts a lion stalking for food (vegetables) along with a red packet containing money which express the gratitude for the blessing.

There are two basic types of lion dances - freestyle and the set method. In the freestyle form is used when dancers would parade through a village, visiting homes and stores during the New Year Celebration. The visit, called the "Pai" brought good luck to residents and businesspeople. Those expecting a visit from the lions would hang a head of lettuce or a similar green above their door. Inside the chan would be, inside the green having a red envelope with money for the lion dance tea. To get the gift lion dancers have to overcome physical obstacles and solve puzzles. These included athletic feats such as jumping between high poles or climbing the wall of a building.

The other type is a set type. The lion dance performance usually follows 3 stages during which the lion goes through and expresses many different emotions and displays different routines. The basic stages or parts of a lion dance performance are the opening, eating the green and closing. The dance involves a cycle of carefully choreographed sequences which include an opening with three bows, sleeping/dreaming, awakening/grooming and exiting the cave, playing, searching for food/eating and returning to sleep.

The lion dance begins with the opening stage where the lion bows 3 times which is a sign of respect and represents good luck greeting as well as showing the good nature of the lion. Traditional the lion is also required to bow to all religious and important figures or statues.

The vegetable is fed to the lion. This tradition dates back to Qing Dynasty. During this period, the people have suffered long under corrupt officials. In order to unify the revolutionaries they thought of a way to symbolize their hatred against this regime without jeopardizing the lives of the common people. In villages, they used lettuce or green = qing in Chinese, which is some say actually a pun of the Qing regime, which almost pronounced in the same way. Thus during lion dance performances a lion sees the Qing and goes for it by chewing and spitting it out, thus symbolizing their hatred against the present Qing government. This propaganda soon spread to many villages and eventually became a tradition that is practiced and preserved long after the fall of Qing Dynasty. Many martial artist who were also Ming patriots who wanted to overthrow the Ch'ing used lion dance to pass secret messages inside the vegetables.
 

There are many different types of obstacles placed before the choy cheng which the lion dance performers must pass through in order to get the green. The most commonly used obstacles are stacks of benches and tables etc.There are also variety of special routines/performances which are associated with the eating of the green such as three stars surrounding the moon (sam sing bune yuet) and seven stars surrounding the moon (chat sing bune yuet). All these obstacles and different routines are used to test the skill of the lion and makes the lion dance more exciting to watch.

Sometimes Chinese martial arts weapons representing a snake are laid down on the floor before the lettuce.  The choy cheng is usually hung from a doorway or similar places which is high of the ground. Sometimes the choy cheng might be on top of a very high pole or a building which requires very skilful dancers to get to it.

Some other types of etiquette that may be followed include testing the door opening, bowing to certain Buddhas represented by figurines, and bowing to those present having a high status. 

The lion will carefully approach the vegetable and even test it to make sure that it is safe and not a firecracker or other dangerous item. It will very carefully approach near the green and blink its eyes to see through the green. Then using its head or the leg the lion will touch the green to make sure it really is food.  After testing on the left and right sides, the lion will do a 3-Star routine (stepping to the 3-Star music) to ward off any others that may want to eat his vegetables. The lion walks back and forth, in a zigzag path, in order to confuse evil spirits, which the Chinese believe move in straight lines. The lion will then pick up the vegetables in his mouth and "chews" it. The person manipulating the head first removes the "hong bao and places it inside his shirt, so as not to drop it, which would mean bad luck. Then he will tear the lettuce apart and throw it out first to the left, then to the right and then to the middle to help spread prosperity in all directions. Sometimes but very rarely a hard coconut or other type of food are used instead of the usual lettuce. The music will then change to "high dance" and the head will be raised and moved as if the lion is happy to have consumed his prize.

Being hit by the choy cheng which the lion spits out is said to bring good luck. Traditionally shortly after the eating the green part of the lion dance the firecrackers will be exploded and the lion dance will continue for a short while longer. The final part of the lion dance is the closing part where the lion bows three times which concludes the lion dance performance. The traditional lion dance always begins and ends with the lion bowing three times.

Lion dance in Penang, Malaysia.