{"id":180423,"date":"2025-01-06T00:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-05T16:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/?p=180423"},"modified":"2025-01-06T22:20:01","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T14:20:01","slug":"lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/","title":{"rendered":"You\u2019re gonna hear them roar! The symbolism behind lion dance and dragon dance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Let us quiz you: what\u2019s one similarity between <a href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/chinese-new-year-traditions-dos-and-donts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chinese New Year<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/dragon-boat-festival-hong-kong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dragon Boat Festival<\/a>? That\u2019s right, it\u2019s the dancing lions and dragons! Those living in Hong Kong would\u2019ve seen the vibrant lion dance and dragon dance pop up from time to time (and chances are, you would\u2019ve mumbled something about the &#8220;noise&#8221; under your breath). To help you better understand this intangible cultural heritage, we\u2019re here to tell you what the fuss is all about \u2013 and why the lion dance and dragon dance are worth appreciating.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_72 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/#All_about_lion_dance_and_dragon_dance\" title=\"All about lion dance and dragon dance\">All about lion dance and dragon dance<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/#Lion_dance_%E8%88%9E%E7%8D%85_VS_dragon_dance_%E8%88%9E%E9%BE%8D\" title=\"Lion dance (\u821e\u7345) VS dragon dance (\u821e\u9f8d)\">Lion dance (\u821e\u7345) VS dragon dance (\u821e\u9f8d)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/#Story_time\" title=\"Story time!\">Story time!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/#Symbolisms_of_the_lion_and_the_dragon\" title=\"Symbolisms of the lion and the dragon\">Symbolisms of the lion and the dragon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/#Different_styles_of_the_lion_dance_and_dragon_dance\" title=\"Different styles of the lion dance and dragon dance\">Different styles of the lion dance and dragon dance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/#Catch_the_Tai_Hang_Fire_Dragon_Dance\" title=\"Catch the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance!\">Catch the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"All_about_lion_dance_and_dragon_dance\"><\/span>All about lion dance and dragon dance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lion_dance_%E8%88%9E%E7%8D%85_VS_dragon_dance_%E8%88%9E%E9%BE%8D\"><\/span>Lion dance (\u821e\u7345) VS dragon dance (\u821e\u9f8d)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_202244\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-202244\" style=\"width: 1400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-202244 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-1.jpeg\" alt=\"lion dragon dance\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1000\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-1.jpeg 1400w, https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-1-900x643.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-1-768x549.jpeg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1400\/1000;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-202244\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Both lion and dragon dances are precious cultural traditions (Photography: Lina Shatalova via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To begin with, can you spot the differences between the lion dance and dragon dance? Due to the fact the two often appear during celebrations with oversized masks, colourful costumes, and accompanied by traditional Chinese music, many may not have thought about their distinctions.<\/p>\n<p>But, there are actually some major differences. Firstly, only <strong>two dancers<\/strong> are in charge of the lion dance, who remain concealed and control the costume from underneath its head and tail. Contrastingly, the dragon dance requires around <strong>a dozen performers<\/strong>. They hold long poles to support the serpentine costume, which is about 20 metres in length.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the varying look and team sizes, the lion and dragon dances differ in <strong>style<\/strong>, too. The lion\u2019s motions are often brisk and energetic, involving impressive acrobatics and martial arts. On other hand, the dragon focuses on flow, flair, and speed, thereby requiring more footwork and group coordination.<\/p>\n<p>Another way to distinguish the two is that the <strong>Laughing Monk<\/strong> is present during the lion dance. He leads the dancers and acts as the entertainer for the crowd. On the contrary, the dragon dancers chase a ball on a stick (held up by another performer in front of the dragon) as the basis of their routine.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Story_time\"><\/span>Story time!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_202245\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-202245\" style=\"width: 1400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-202245 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-2.jpeg\" alt=\"dragon dance hong kong\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1000\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-2.jpeg 1400w, https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-2-900x643.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-2-768x549.jpeg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1400\/1000;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-202245\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The vibrant colours make the dances extra exciting to watch (Photography: Nigel Balanjiu via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Oh wait, there\u2019s actually no <em>exact<\/em> story behind the lion dance and dragon dance, because their origins are largely unclear. However, they\u2019ve certainly been long established since ancient China. Scholars generally believe the dragon dance dates back to the Han dynasty (some 2,000 years ago), whereas historical accounts of the lion dance emerged between the third and seventh centuries.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Symbolisms_of_the_lion_and_the_dragon\"><\/span>Symbolisms of the lion and the dragon<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The dragon is one of the most iconic animals in Chinese tradition, as it represents <strong>power and prosperity<\/strong>. Thus, the longer the dragon is in the dragon dance, the more fortune it brings.<\/p>\n<p>The lion bears similar significance to the dragon. Also, they both move according to the beat of the drums and cymbals, which are played loudly to <strong>drive away malicious spirits<\/strong>. These are the reasons why you\u2019d see the dancing lion and dragon at Chinese New Year celebrations, as well as traditional weddings, festivals, new business openings, and other joyous occasions.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Different_styles_of_the_lion_dance_and_dragon_dance\"><\/span>Different styles of the lion dance and dragon dance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_202242\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-202242\" style=\"width: 1400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-202242 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-lead-image.jpeg\" alt=\"lion dance dragon dance hong kong\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1000\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-lead-image.jpeg 1400w, https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-lead-image-900x643.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-lead-image-768x549.jpeg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1400\/1000;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-202242\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The skill and synchronisation of the lion dancers are simply dazzling (Photography: Biggereye via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The momentousness of the lion and dragon dances has made the tradition spread across the Asian diaspora. In particular, the lion dance in China is mainly divided into the northern style and the southern style. While the former features awe-inspiring <strong>kung fu techniques<\/strong>, the latter emphasises on the likeness between the dancing lion and a real lion. The dancing lion would sometimes scratch and shake its body, creating a more <strong>comical and vivacious<\/strong> sort of dance.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Catch_the_Tai_Hang_Fire_Dragon_Dance\"><\/span>Catch the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_214033\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-214033\" style=\"width: 1400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-214033 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/dragon-dance-tai-hang.jpg\" alt=\"tai hang fire dragon dance\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1000\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/dragon-dance-tai-hang.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/dragon-dance-tai-hang-900x643.jpg 900w, https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/dragon-dance-tai-hang-768x549.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1400\/1000;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-214033\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Can you spot the lion head? (Photography: HKTB)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One of the most prominent dragon dance performances in Hong Kong is the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. This signature event during the <a href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/mid-autumn-festival-hong-kong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mid-Autumn Festival<\/a> attracts throngs of people to the neighbourhood of <a href=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/guide-to-tai-hang-hong-kong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tai Hang<\/a> every year, starting from the 14th night of the eighth lunar month for <strong>three consecutive nights<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Make your way to <strong>Wun Sha Street and Tung Lo Wan Road<\/strong> in Tai Hang to witness the extraordinary spectacle of a 67-metre fire dragon being paraded by 300 performers. The giant dragon, made of over 10,000 burning incense sticks, weaves through the streets while accompanied by a smaller dragon carried by children, all dancing to the beat from traditional Chinese gongs and drums. A recognised <strong>National Intangible Cultural Heritage<\/strong>, this time-honoured tradition was first performed in 1880 and is a ritual to pray for the peace and safety of the local community.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firedragon.org.hk\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Tai Hang Fire Dragon Heritage Centre<\/a>, 12 School Street, Tai Hang, Hong Kong, p. 2805 0012<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let us quiz you: what\u2019s one similarity between Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival? That\u2019s right, it\u2019s the dancing lions and dragons! Those living in Hong Kong would\u2019ve seen the vibrant lion dance and dragon dance pop up from time to time (and chances are, you would\u2019ve mumbled something about the &#8220;noise&#8221; under [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107518,"featured_media":202246,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[1136,18024,9,18021,18026],"tags":[31147],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.7 (Yoast SEO v23.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Roar-some facts about lion dance and dragon dance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Lion dance and dragon dance are simply stunning to watch \u2013 and they bring good luck! 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Those\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Honeycombers Hong Kong\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/honeycombershongkong\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-05T16:00:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-06T14:20:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.thehoneycombers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/12\/lion-dance-3.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elaine Wong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@honeycombershk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@honeycombershk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elaine Wong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elaine Wong\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/hong-kong\/#\/schema\/person\/83f92166250cd2f903c8bfcf5068bc91\"},\"headline\":\"You\u2019re gonna hear them roar! 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