Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s3.t1: Lion Dance
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s3.t1
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Lion Dance
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Lion Dance of Five Orientations (*Wufang shiziwu*), one of the eight musical dances for standing playing of the Tang Dynasty, was a large-scale musical dancing played by groups and also called Peaceful Music. According to Du You’s *Tondian* • Music VI, “Peaceful Music also meant the Lion Dance of Five Orientations. The image of lion, a beast, came from India and Sri Lanka in the southwest, wearing clothes made by sewing furs, players were imitating the gestures and movements of lions: two people would hold a rope, pretending to be training the lions; players would act as lions with different fur colours according to orientations. A group of others would sing the praise of peace, frolicking along with the dancers, the clothing being all like those in Kunlun.” The *Old Book of Tang·Musical Record* had similar descriptions. According to *Folk Music Collections*, “instruments include Bili, flute, pabam, four-colour drum, Kakko, Jilou drum and drama includes the dancing of five orientations with five zhang in height and five colours in clothing. Twelve people, called lion men, played one lion, wearing the red forehead ribbons, painted clothes and holding the red whisks and the music and dance on praising peace was played.
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*Kamala Lakshman*
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Lion dance during the northern Song Dynasty
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The lion is an auspicious animal and has a close tie with Indian Buddhism. It is said that when the Buddha was born, 500 lions came from the snow mountain and served standing at the two sides of the door. Lion dance was already popular in the Central Plains at the time of Three Kingdoms. Lions were worshipped by the Kucha royal. The General Lü Guang of Former Qin Dynasty (352-394) attacked the Western Regions with troops,
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Lion Dance
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destroyed Kucha and brought thousands of Kucha artists back to Liangzhou (now in Wuwei of Guansu). They mixed the Han elements with the lion dance and produced the lion dance of five orientations. When the dancing began, tens of Kakko were being beaten together. Green, red, yellow, white and black lions were standing in the corresponding five directions of east, west, south, north and middle. Ten people were playing five lions, and the other two played the warriors holding a coloured ball teasing and 140 people were dancing beside and playing the Kucha music. They used various kinds of instruments to foil the atmosphere. The scene was completely spectacular and inspiring which reflected magnificent atmosphere of the flouring Tang Dynasty.
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Apart from the court, the lion dance was popular both in the army and the folk, just as described in Bai Juyi's *Xiliang Techniques*. For over 2,000 years, the lion dance has been fashionable and popular and it is an important festival entertainment form for all Chinese home and abroad.
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(Zhao Jiazi & Liu Jian)