Lion dance is an excellent folk art in my country. During the Lantern Festival or gatherings and celebrations, people come to celebrate with lion dance. This custom originated during the Three Kingdoms period and became popular during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has a history of more than a thousand years. According to legend, it was first introduced from the Western Regions. The lion is the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva. With the introduction of Buddhism to China, lion dance activities were also introduced to China. The lion was a tribute brought back together with the peacock and others after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions. However, the skill of lion dance is derived from the "masquerade" of Xiliang. Some people believe that lion dance originated from the army in the fifth century and was later introduced to the people. Both statements have their own basis, and today it is difficult to judge whether they are right or wrong. However, in the Tang Dynasty, lion dance had become a popular activity in the palace, the military, and among the people. It is said in "Yuefu Zaxun" by Duan'an Festival of the Tang Dynasty: "There are five lions in the play, more than ten feet tall, each dressed in five colors. Each lion has twelve people, wearing red foreheads, painted clothes, and holding red whisks. It is called The lion man dances to the music of peace." The poet Bai Juyi vividly describes this in his poem "Xiliang Ji": "Xiliang Ji, Xiliang Ji, a disguised barbarian with a fake lion's head and silk tail, and a gold-plated head. The eyes are as silver as the teeth, and the ears are as if they have come from quicksand." The poem describes the scene of the lion dance at that time.
In the development process of more than a thousand years, lion dance has formed two performance styles, northern and southern. The Northern Lion Dance mainly focuses on the performance of "Martial Lion", which is the "Auspicious Lion" of the Northern Wei Dynasty designated by Emperor Wu of Wei Dynasty. The small lion dances by one person, and the big lion dances by two people. One person stands and dances the lion's head, and the other bends down and dances the lion's body and tail. The lion dancer wears a lion quilt all over his body, and wears green lion pants and gold-clawed boots with the same coat color as the lion's body. People can't identify the shape of the lion dancer. Its appearance is very similar to a real lion. The lion leader is dressed as an ancient warrior, holding a rotating hydrangea in his hand, accompanied by gongs, drums and cymbals to lure the auspicious lion. Under the guidance of the "Lion Man", the lions perform tricks such as flipping, falling, jumping, climbing, and worshiping. They also perform difficult actions such as walking on plum blossom piles, jumping around tables, and stepping on rolling balls. The Southern Lion Dance mainly focuses on "literary lion" performances. The performance pays attention to expressions, including tickling, hair shaking, licking and other movements, which are lifelike and cute. It also has more difficult skills such as spitting balls. Nanshi is centered in Guangdong, and is popular in Hong Kong, Macao, and the hometowns of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. Although the Southern Lion Dance is also a duet dance, the lion dancer wears bloomers and only a colorful lion quilt on top. Different from the Northern Lion, the "Lion Man" wears a big-headed Buddha mask, a robe, and a colorful belt around his waist. He holds a sunflower fan in his hand and teases the lion, and uses it to dance various graceful moves with funny and humorous movements. There are many schools of southern lions, including the "Chicken-Gong Lion" from Qingyuan and Yingde, the "Big-headed Lion" from Guangzhou and Foshan, the "Duck-billed Lion" from Gaohe and Zhongshan, and the "Qilin Lion" from Dongguan, etc. In addition to their different appearances, Southern Lions also have different personalities. The dance of the white-bearded lion is not wide-ranging, and there are not many varieties of colors, but it is calm, vigorous, majestic and powerful. It is called "Liu Bei Lion" among the people. The black-bearded red-faced lion, known as the "Guan Gong Lion", dances bravely and majesticly, with extraordinary spirit. The gray-bearded lion has rough and warlike movements and is commonly known as "Zhang Fei Lion". The lion is the king of beasts, with a majestic and mighty image, giving people a sense of majesty and bravery. The ancients regarded it as a symbol of bravery and strength, believing that it could exorcise evil spirits, suppress demons, and protect humans and animals. Therefore, people gradually formed the custom of lion dancing during the Lantern Festival and other major events to pray for good luck and peace in life.