Lion Dance

Ⅲ-5Traditional DancePengshuimiaozutujiazuzizhi, ChongqingBatch 3 (2011)Extension Item

01 · Historical Records

High-platform lion dance has a history of about one hundred and fifty years in Pengshui. According to the records of the Cultural Centre of Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, local lion dance is divided into two lines, the ground lion dance and the high-platform lion dance: the ground lion dance is used for everyday festivals, birthdays, weddings and funerals, opening celebrations and similar activities, while the high-platform lion dance, performed on an erected platform of stacked tables, is used mostly for major festivals and competitions, and in performance is often joined together with the ground lion dance. The Tang family troupe is the main transmission group of Pengshui high-platform lion dance; in 1955 Tang Shouyi studied the performance of high-platform lion dance and the craft of making the lions with the transmitters Tang Wangu and Tang Shixi, and afterwards headed the affairs of the Tang family troupe for more than thirty years. High-platform lion dance takes the stacking of square tables into tiers as its basic form; the number of tables stacked depends on the site, the manpower and the degree of difficulty, ranging from seven tables at the least, usually fifteen, as many as twenty-four, and up to one hundred and eight at the limit; the highest tier is called 'a stick of incense'.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

The ground lion dance is used mainly for everyday festivals, birthdays, weddings and funerals, opening celebrations and similar activities. The high-platform lion dance, performed on an erected platform of stacked tables, is used mostly for major festivals and competitions, and in performance is often joined together with the ground lion dance. The most central part is the aerial performance: the platform is built from square tables, at least 7 of them, usually 15, as many as 24, and up to 108 at the limit. The lion dancers wear painted lion-patterned garments about two metres long and, under the guidance of the leader, step to the rhythm of gong, large drum, small drum, cymbals and jiao provided as percussion instruments, rising layer by layer from the first tier right up to the highest tier, called 'a stick of incense'. When performing on each tier, the lion has to pass through every single square table. On the 'stick of incense' the lion playing and pillar-standing performances are carried out. High-platform lion dance has performance routines such as stomping the yellow winter gourd, striking the sheep-horn post, the kite turning its fork, pulling the chain to cover the crutch, the flipping seal, the yellow dragon girding the waist, the milk cow trapped in the pond, dogs linked crotch to crotch, pulling the sea-flattening dog, threading the ring, the lion on a tall pole seizing the embroidered ball, and gliding around the bench. In performance, not only are the movements thrilling and difficult, but the archaic, amusing performance style, rich in flavour, also makes it deeply popular with the people.

Yizhuxiang (the single incense stick)

The topmost table of the stacked platform, reached only after climbing level by level; lion play and pole-standing are performed there, making it the hardest and most dangerous episode.

Deng huang dong er, da yang jiao zhuang, yao zi fan cha and che lian gai guai

A group of routines imitating beasts leaping, rolling and grappling; archaic in flavour, playful yet difficult, and shared with the ground lion dance.

Fan tian yin, huang long chan yao, nai niu kun tang, gou lian dang and che hai pa gou

Another set of routines built on turning, waist-coiling, pinning and threading moves, which Tang Shouyi partly reworked from lion and human behaviour.

Lion seizing the embroidered ball on a tall pole and walking the bench

Two skill episodes: seizing the embroidered ball atop a tall pole, and walking and turning on a bench, both demanding balance on narrow supports.

The Tang family troupe

The chief transmitting group of Pengshui high-platform lion dance; Tang Shouyi ran its affairs for over thirty years and trained nearly a hundred disciples.

The guide and the percussion band

Clad in painted lion robes about two metres long, the players follow the guide and the rhythm of gongs, large and small drums, cymbals and clappers, climbing table by table.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

High-platform lion dance is a traditional dance distinctive to the folk of Pengshui, Chongqing, with a history of about one hundred and fifty years and considerable influence among the local people. In Pengshui, lion dance can be divided into ground lion dance and high-platform lion dance.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Tang Shouyi (recorded in the official archive of associated inheritors): male, Miao ethnicity, born in September 1942, a native of Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing City. In 1955 he followed the transmitters of high-platform lion dance, Tang Wangu and Tang Shixi, to study the performance of high-platform lion dance and the craft of making the lions. He engaged in high-platform lion dance performance for more than fifty years and headed the affairs of the Tang family high-platform lion troupe for more than thirty years, and his performing technique is mature and highly accomplished. The high-platform lion dance he performs is high, startling, risky and wondrous, while his ground lion dance is comic and humorous; in performance he also imitates the movements of lions and other animals or of people, and created such routines as stomping the yellow winter gourd, striking the sheep-horn post, the kite turning its fork, pulling the chain to cover the crutch, dogs linked crotch to crotch, the sea-crawling dog, the flipping seal, the yellow dragon girding the waist, the lazy cow trapped in the pond, and rider on rider. He has taught nearly one hundred disciples of the Tang surname and of other surnames. Representative inheritor of the fourth national-level intangible cultural heritage project Lion Dance (High-Platform Lion Dance).

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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