Roaring success: Local Guangxi lion dance tradition gains popularity in ASEAN

An artist performs a lion dance. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Lion dance artists Hu Longying and Hu Jinshan arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Aug. 1 to attend the World Lion Dance Championship.

The brothers hail from Tengxian county in Wuzhou city, located in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

"We practiced about 20 dance movements for the championship. I hope our performance will enable more overseas audiences to fall in love with the Tengxian Lion Dance," Hu Longying said.

An artist performs a lion dance. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

The lion dance is a traditional performing art form in Asian countries, including China, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The Tengxian Lion Dance, celebrated for its complex and highly intricate movements, was recognized as a part of China's national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.

"In recent years, we have often performed lion dances and attended international lion dance competitions in countries like Malaysia and Singapore. The art is very popular in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries," Hu Longying said.

Lion dance artists Hu Longying and Hu Jinshan pose together during a competition. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

The 24-year-old began learning the lion dance at 16 and has trained almost six hours every day except during major festivals and holidays.

"It's hard to stick to lion dance practices without love for the traditional art," the artist remarked.

Deng Binguang, deputy head of the Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association in Tengxian county, said the local government has implemented measures to attract young people to carry forward the Tengxian Lion Dance. These measures include holding cultural activities, participating in international competitions, providing funds, and establishing scholarship and training programs. Tengxian's secondary vocational school also launched a lion dance class and a training venue to enroll more lion dance learners.

An artist exhibits grace and skill in a lion dance performance. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

In recent years, performers of the Tengxian Lion Dance have won awards in professional lion dance competitions held in China and ASEAN countries, including a World Lion Dance Championship title and three other titles.

Noting that the lion dance, which originated in China, is very popular in ASEAN countries, Deng expressed hope that the traditional Chinese lion dance could reach more people in ASEAN through new technologies and new media.