What is Dragon Lion Dance? Origin and meaning of lion – monk – dragon dance custom?

In the spiritual culture of Asians, the three mascots, the lion, the monk, and the dragon, symbolize extraordinary strength, bring prosperity and success in work and life , so the ancients believed that the This lion dance will bring luck and prosperity. So where does this lion dance custom come from, how do different countries have different dances?

What is Dragon Lion Dance?

This is a type of street folk dance art that originated on the streets in the southern province of Guangdong, China more than a thousand years ago . These three mascots are all mythological, representing the wish for prosperity, good luck, warding off bad omens, so they are often performed in festivals, opening days, Lunar New Year, groundbreaking…

The soul of this dance is a combination of spiritual beauty and traditional martial arts, depending on space and time, people can perform each song and dance accordingly.

What is Dragon Lion Dance?

Nowadays, there are many competitions of lion and dragon dance so that teams can compete against each other, people can perform a dance combining lion with dragon, lion with monk or a combination of all three types . For the dragon lion dance dance , the sound of drums, sound of loudspeakers, and cymbals are extremely important , the drummer must have a methodical beat, in accordance with the sets of dharmas such as greeting, bowing, lying down, eating, climbing, and slipping. down, the tempo is slow, at times rushing like a battle drum, from which it is possible to fully express the majesty and majesty of the lion – monk – dragon monk – dragon

Where is the origin of the dragon lion dance custom?

Dragons and unicorns are both mythical mascots, erected by the ancients to express their wishes in life. The dragon lion dance custom is derived from ancient legends of the Chinese people, depending on the region, people will have different stories to match the beliefs of the local people.

Lion dance, monk dance:

According to the legend of Southern China, in the past , in the coastal area, there were often big-headed, bulging-eyed, wide-mouthed monsters called Ky Lan coming ashore to harass the villagers . After being told by the gray-haired old man (believed to be the embodiment of the Bodhisattva), the villagers immediately took paper and cloth to make the shape of the beast, then smeared it with colored powder to look extremely fierce, then waited for the monster to wait. When the animals came, they danced in the sound of drums, gongs, etc., causing the beasts to run away in fear, from then on, they no longer dared to come and disturb them. Since then, on holidays and Tet, people often bring out the image of monsters to dance and celebrate. Gradually formed in the belief of Southern Chinese that the lion dance will bring prosperity and good luck and was called the Nam Su dance by the ancients . In the North, lion dance is popular, so it is called Bac Su dance.

In the past, the Chinese who migrated to Vietnam also brought this custom, since then, lion dance and lion dance have gradually become a beauty in the traditional culture of our Vietnamese people.

Dragon dance:

According to Chinese folklore, in the past, after being bitten by a hissing under its scales on its side, the dragon came to ask a human doctor for help . To repay the doctor, the dragon performed a dance to pray for favorable weather and rain . Since then, on the occasion of festivals or New Year’s Day, people often perform dragon dance to pray for health, luck and happiness in life . As for the Vietnamese people, the dragon is considered to be the god of happiness and prosperity, so the dragon dance will be performed in important festivals in the form of: dragon procession, dragon dance, dragon boat racing, .. .

Meaning

An indispensable character in the dance is Mr. Dia (regarded as the embodiment of Maitreya Buddha), wearing a long dress, waving a fan while rubbing his belly while teasing the lion and the others. Watching the performance, the face is always smiling and gentle. There is also a legend that after conquering the monster (unicorn) who specializes in destruction on the shore, each time Tet comes , Maitreya will transform into Mr. evil evil.

The ancients believed that Mr. Dia and the unicorn will bring good fortune to that place because they believe that the unicorn can drive away evil spirits and Mr. Dia will bring good omens to the world. Besides, the image of him teasing, patting the head of the dragon lion also shows the relationship between all things in human life, which are harmoniously and deeply attached.

Is the lion and dragon dance custom in other countries the same as in Vietnam?

In general , the meaning of this activity is the same: wishing for luck, health and prosperity . Depending on the country, people can create appropriate dances, as in China this dance is related to Kungfu or martial arts, performed to the music of drums, cymbals, cymbals and gongs. gong.

In Japan, the lion dance costume is only for one person, the colors are not too prominent, the dancer will perform under the music of Taiko drums and flute (traditional Japanese melodies), the Japanese also believe that anyone If you get a lion’s head, you will eat bad luck.

The important thing in common is that the performer must make the dance soulful, depicting the image of a lion and a dragon eating, sleeping, climbing trees, etc. vividly.

Dragon lion dance not only brings spiritual beauty but also shows characteristics in Asian culture. Hopefully the article has provided you with useful information about the origin and meaning of the dragon lion dance custom.

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