Lion Dance (Gupi lion, plow lion)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Lion Dance

Applicant: Xinfeng County, Jiangxi Province

Item No.: 108

Project No.: Ⅲ - 5

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Jiangxi Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Xinfeng County, Jiangxi Province

Protection unit: Xinfeng Cultural Center

Introduction to lion dance

Applicant: Xinfeng County, Jiangxi Province

Xi lion and Li lion are two different styles of lion dance popular in Gupi town of Xinfeng County.

Xi lion is a unique form of lion dance for the local Xie family. Li lion is a form of lion dance created by Li farmers in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty when they saw Xi lion in the Xie family. Xie homophonic "Xi" and Li homophonic "Li", these two kinds of lion dance in the local became the symbol of the two families.

The lion's body frame is more than two meters long. It is made of bamboo slices, covered with straw mats, and its outer contour is tied with coarse rice straw ropes. It is filled with thread incense. During the dance, three people stand in the frame and perform under the guidance of the lion leading people wearing incense hats (called "Huihui").

The image of the lion plough is lion head and ox body, one big and one small. It is made of wood, covered with straw mat, tied with thick rice straw rope on the outer contour, and inserted with incense wherever there is straw rope. It looks like an ox with spherical taro as eyes. During the performance, the line incense was ignited, and the lion ploughed in close cooperation with the cattle guide and the ploughman, led by four people holding the "spring, cattle, plough and field" signboards, followed by three "incense fire dragons". For a moment, cattle plow and Dragons roll, showing a picture of cattle farming in spring.

Xi lion's performance is simple and rough, accompanied by percussion music, with bright and powerful rhythm. The performance of lion plowing mainly simulates the scene of plowing, with a strong local flavor. In addition to the accompaniment of percussion music, there are suona playing tunes similar to Gannan Tea Picking Opera.

Xi Shi and Li Shi, the two surnames of the ancient PI people, dance during the Spring Festival, is an ancient folk cultural phenomenon, which has important research value.