Lion Dance

Ⅲ-5Traditional DanceLichuan, JiangxiBatch 4 (2014)Extension Item

01 · Historical Records

According to records, the white lion dance of Lichuan had already begun to take shape as early as the Yuan dynasty, and by the Xianfeng reign of the Qing dynasty it had developed to maturity and become a major cultural event of the locality.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

The Lichuan white lion dance is a traditional dance form transmitted at Xiaqiao Village of Rifeng Town, Lichuan County, Jiangxi Province. Lichuan County has a custom that festive occasions must set off firecrackers and dance the white lion. The lion is usually danced at the Spring Festival, at the City God temple fair on the ninth day of the fifth month, and at the Mid-Autumn Festival. Generally it starts out from Dongqiao Village, begins dancing at the City God temple, and travels around the edge of Lichuan county town while dancing as it goes, making a circuit of the town. Finally, after the lion-killing ceremony the lion is invited up into the hall and returned to its original place. The white lion dance activity is convened and presided over by the pearl-holder, and the lion troupe generally consists of 20 people. Male and female appear in pairs. Under the guidance of the pearl-holder the two lions take four formations: surrounding the spectators, side by side, rising in the east and falling in the west, and advancing in front while retreating behind. The male and female pair chase and snatch the pearl, and vividly imitate the movements of the lion such as looking, standing, holding firm, running, jumping, scratching itself and shaking its coat. The white lion dance begins with the highly entertaining lion play, and requires one male and one female white lion, one pearl, and a percussion ensemble in attendance. There are eleven basic movements, such as the lion rolling the ball and the two lions presenting auspiciousness. The music includes the 'passage section', the 'flowing water' and the 'fiery head'. The lion dancers tie white towels round their heads, wear Chinese-style front-buttoned wide-bordered yellow jackets and wide lantern trousers. People use iron wire to make a ball shape, cover it with red silk, set a horizontal axle in its centre, and support the ball in the air on a horseshoe-shaped wooden handle below; the slightest tremor makes the ball turn continuously. Lion lanterns are fitted at the head and tail of the lion and at the centre of the ball, so that it glows with shifting colour as it dances. When the 'fiery head' music begins, the drum leader, judging from the mood of the performers, gradually quickens the rhythm and pushes it to a climax. Finally it ends with a lion-killing performance by a person wearing a nuo dance mask. The white lion of the Lichuan dance weighs about 70 jin in total, which requires the dancer of the lion's head to be powerfully built and to have tremendous endurance. The dancer of the lion's tail, on the other hand, must have strong bouncing power and agile movements. In former times Lichuan lion dancing belonged to the category of the martial lion and honoured the white lion as a queen; it was not distinguished by martial combat but centred on civil play, with implications of harmony, auspiciousness, the welcoming of blessings and nobility. The white lion is finely made, with a grand and burly shape and expansive, graceful movements that combine strength and gentleness; accompanied by varied percussion music and dancing up and down, it has a truly majestic momentum and offers a great deal to look at. Every movement of the white lion dance is plain, concise and unadorned, with the purpose of bringing good fortune and blessings; its meaning is deep, and it is of positive significance for building a harmonious society.

The pearl bearer and the four formations

The pearl bearer convenes and leads the dance; the paired lions take up four formations and chase the pearl.

The eleven basic movements

Beginning with playful lion handling, the dance has eleven basic movements imitating the lion's watching, standing, freezing, running, jumping, scratching and shaking.

The accompanying tunes: guo duan, liu shui and huo bao tou

The suite of percussion pieces; once huo bao tou begins the drummer accelerates with the dancers' mood until the climax, ending in a lion-slaying scene danced in a Nuo mask.

Making the white lion and the pearl

The pearl is wire-framed, covered in red silk and hung on a horseshoe handle so that it spins at the slightest tremor; lamps fitted in head, tail and pearl make the dance shimmer.

The lion-slaying rite and escorting the lion into the hall

The closing episode: after a lion-slaying performance by dancers in Nuo masks the lion is escorted back into the hall and returned to its place.

Deng Yaming, the pearl bearer

Born in Lichuan in 1958, Deng Yaming acts as pearl bearer and director of the troupe, refined some movements and reworked the drum patterns, and has passed all his skills to his son and nephew.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The Lichuan white lion dance is transmitted at Xiaqiao Village and Dongqiao Village of Rifeng Town, Lichuan County, Jiangxi Province, and in the county town area, with the Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the City God temple fair on the ninth day of the fifth month as its main performance occasions; locally there is a custom that festive occasions must set off firecrackers and dance the white lion. The appearance of the lions is convened and presided over by the pearl-holder, the troupe generally numbers twenty people, sets out from Dongqiao Village, begins dancing at the City God temple, makes a circuit of the town, and finally performs the lion-killing ceremony and invites the lion up into the hall.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

The white lion dance, which takes white as its honoured colour, concentrates the spiritual needs and the state of life of the people of Lichuan, and is of important significance for studying southern lion art, Lichuan culture and folk activities. Deng Yaming (recorded in the official archive of associated inheritors): male, Han Chinese, born in August 1958, a native of Lichuan County, Jiangxi Province. As an organiser of the Lichuan white lion dance, he occupies the position of pearl-holder within the dancing troupe, directing and guiding all the lion dancers and the musicians. He has many times organised people to take part in the folk art activities held by the province and the city, so that more people can understand the characteristics and historical origins of the Lichuan white lion dance. Besides mastering the lion dancing technique, he has also made creative improvements to a number of the movements, and has researched and improved the gong-and-drum patterns of the lion dance. He has since passed on all the skills to his son Deng Xianguo and his nephew Deng Junjie. Representative inheritor of the fifth national-level intangible cultural heritage project Lion Dance (Lichuan White 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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