Discover The Ancient Lion Dance in Cholon
In the South of Vietnam, especially in Saigon and Cho Lon, when the late winter wind caressed the cold of the early morning, the streets were crowded with people going back and forth. On the sidewalks, shops and grocery stores were all over the markets selling couplets, red bowls, firecrackers, curls, bright pink or red beside the red envelopes with many funny images. Adults and children wiping each other all over the cave and alleys immediately thought of the upcoming New Year. The three-wheeled cyclos filled with unicorn heads and Mr. Dia with a huge drum and a pair of mules while pushing and knocking dragged a group of children excitedly shouting.
Firecrackers, Unicorns and Lion Dances: A Look at Southern Vietnamese Celebrations
Firecrackers and unicorns were essential parts of the Southern Vietnamese people’s New Year celebrations, as well as important national or personal and family occasions such as inaugurations or sales openings and birthdays. In the concept of the Four Spirits of the ancients, Lan ranks second after Long and before Qui and Phung. However, in fact, there are only two children, Turtle – Quy and Phuong – Phung bird, and Long and Lan are both “imaginary objects” of the ancients. As for the Lion dance, it came to Vietnam from China. The legend of the origin of the lion dance is associated with the confrontation of Chinese dynasties in the 5th century. The story goes that in 466, the Emperor of the Northern dynasties of China Wen of Sui attacked the southern army, which used war elephants to repel the enemy.
A Look at the History and Significance of Traditional Vietnamese Dances
According to Vietnamese book writer Son Nam, the lion dance was introduced to Vietnam by the Chinese around the late 20th and 19th century. At that time, a lion troupe consisted of only one lion, one man Dia, one drummer, and one lion. The drummer was either an assistant or the master of the dojo himself and was responsible for keeping the drum sound steady and preventing the drum from being punctured or broken during disputes. The leader of the Lan dance was usually the “master” or “master” of kung fu with high martial arts skills so that when something went wrong, such as a dispute or competition with other furnaces, they could keep the kiln’s phosphorus head intact. Next to it is the drummer who is also responsible for keeping the drum sound steady. Because of the regulations of the furnaces, when the head of the furnace or the drum of the furnace is broken or punctured by the opponent, it is considered that the furnace is “lost”, degraded or depreciated compared to other furnaces
The ancient lion dance is a traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries. Performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume to bring good luck, and fortune and chase away evil spirits. Each lion is controlled by two people; one orchestrates the head movements, and one follows the other’s footwork in the tail. Lions are symbolic of wisdom and power in Chinese culture, and the purpose of the lion dance is to bring good fortune1.
In addition to being a form of entertainment and beauty on important holidays such as New Year’s Day, the ancient lion dance is also raised by the masters of the martial arts village to the quintessence of the sect, with martial arts exercises. unique heirloom, each group has its own drawing, each color is different, promoting courage, martial arts spirit, mutual support, and bringing good luck and joy to every family whenever there is a group. Lions come to “smash the land” or pass by, on the occasion of the coming New Year, spring comes, people’s hearts are happy and excited
