Li Yongmao

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Li Yongmao, Male, Zhuang, from Tianyang, Guangxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Lion Dance (Ⅲ-5). The tradition is documented in Tianyang, Guangxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Lion Dance in Tianyang, Guangxi: The Tianyang Zhuang lion dance takes the Zhuang villages along the You River in Tianyang County as its main area of transmission; lion troupes are generally organised by village and clan, and each village differs in lion-head making, drum-beat patterns and signature programmes. Representative programmes of the ground civil-school lion dance include A Flock of Lions Welcomes Guests, Colourful Lions Pay New Year Greetings, Phoenix Terrace Lion Techniques and Cubs Play with the Ball; representative programmes of the high-altitude martial-school lion dance include Lion Technique on a Knife Tip, Lion Climbing the Golden Mountain, Lion Crossing the Heavenly Bridge, Flying Lion on a High Pole and the Majestic Golden Lion, representing respectively the civil and martial technical lines of the Tianyang Zhuang lion dance. The civil school is used mostly for festive celebrations, New Year visits, gatherings, weddings and other joyous activities, while the martial school is used mostly for major festivals and competitions. Tianyang Zhuang lion dance is transmitted in Tianyang County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Tianyang lies in the You River valley of western Guangxi and is a county where the Zhuang people live in clusters; lion dancing has long been interwoven with the local Zhuang festivals, temple fairs and song fair customs. According to the archives of the Tianyang County Cultural Centre, the Tianyang Zhuang lion dance consists of two lines, the ground lion dance and the high-altitude lion dance: the ground lion dance belongs to the civil school and mostly performs the everyday doings of the lion on the ground, while the high-altitude lion dance belongs to the martial school, centring on high platforms and scaffolds and weaving martial arts and acrobatics into the lion dance movements. The two lines each have their own lineage and representative programmes, and most of the lion dancers also practise Zhuang martial arts.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Li Yongmao is anchored in the documented technical standards of Lion Dance in Tianyang, Guangxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Lion Dance in Tianyang, Guangxi: The Zhuang lion dance transmitted in Tianyang County has two performance forms, the ground lion dance and the high-altitude lion dance. The ground lion dance belongs to the civil school of lion dancing and mainly performs on the ground movements such as the lion scratching itself, licking its fur, rolling, boring into a hole and shaking its coat, displaying the lively and cute expression of the lion and its playful, frolicking character. The civil school lion dance is generally used for festive celebrations, New Year visits, gatherings, weddings, entertainment and other joyous activities. Representative programmes of the Tianyang Zhuang ground lion dance include A Flock of Lions Welcomes Guests, Colourful Lions Pay New Year Greetings, Phoenix Terrace Lion Techniques and Cubs Play with the Ball. The high-altitude lion dance belongs to the martial school of lion dancing and centres on high-platform lion dancing. Its main characteristic is weaving martial arts and acrobatics into the lion dance movements, performing lion dance movements that are high, difficult, startling, risky and beautiful. Representative programmes of the Tianyang Zhuang high-altitude lion dance include Lion Technique on a Knife Tip, Lion Climbing the Golden Mountain, Lion Crossing the Heavenly Bridge, Flying Lion on a High Pole and the Majestic Golden Lion. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Ground lion dance (the civil school)": The civil branch performed on the ground, showing the lion scratching, licking, rolling, burrowing and shaking its fur — a playful, festive lion for holidays and weddings. "Aerial lion dance (the martial school)": The martial branch, chiefly high-platform lion dance, fusing martial arts and acrobatics into feats that stress height, difficulty, danger and grace. "The ground-school repertory": Signature items of the ground school, all auspicious pieces featuring groups of lions, New Year greetings, platform skills and a playful cub. "The aerial-school repertory": Signature items of the aerial school, built around perilous props such as blade tips, golden mountains, sky bridges and tall poles.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Li Yongmao was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Lion Dance, with Tianyang, Guangxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Lion Dance in Tianyang, Guangxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2011 (batch 3), with Tianyang, Guangxi as its declared area, and Tianyang County Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Liyongmao (Tianyang, Guangxi) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Liyongmao · China ICH Official Archive