Types & Forms
Students, can you spot the differences between the lions?
The existing two main forms of lion dance: the northern lion and southern lion. According to this categorisation, their techniques vary.
Northern Lion
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Other name: Beijing Lion
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Appearance: It looks similar to a Beijing dog, with long fur on its body and it usually exists in 3 colours: golden, orange and red.
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Techniques: Comprises of folk moves like jumping, rolling and stepping on the ball.
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Musical rhythm: The lion dances according to the beats of cymbals, gong and drums.
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Unique feature: Northern lions appear in pairs, the male lion has a red knot, while the female has a green knot on its head.
Southern Lion
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Other names: Awakening Lion, Guangdong Lion
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Appearance: The lion has a horn on its head, bright and lively eyes, a mirror on its forehead and overall look is pretty
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Techniques: Includes sleeping, waking up, joyful, in doubt, surprised, angry, happy and drunk etc
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Musical rhythm: The movement needs to be matched with the rhythm of the drums, gongs and cymbals
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Unique feature: Flexible dance moves
Representative
colours
Yellow Lion
Liu Bei is famous for his righteousness when he was the emperor. Hence, the yellow lion represents Liu Bei's righteousness and royal nobility.
Red Lion
Guan Yu is known for his loyalty. Hence, the red lion represents Guan Yu's loyalty, victory, and wealth.
Black Lion
Zhang Fei is known for his bravery and aggressiveness. Hence, the black lion represents Zhang Fei's domineering and brave nature.
