The traditional Lion Dance is part of the jubilation, such as Chinese New Year, restaurant opening and wedding ceremony, also the consecration of temples and other building, planting and harvest times, official celebrations, and religious rites. People believe that lion is a holy animal will bring good luck and to ward off evil spirits.

Lion dance can be dated back to the Han Dynasty (205 B.C. to 220 A.D in China) and during the Tang Dynasty (716-907 A.D.) it was at its zenith. It was particularly performed during religious festivals.

There are two styles of lion dance. The Northern China style, closely mimics the movements of the lion. The southern style Lion Dance has become an extension of the Chinese Martial spirit, and is always performed by Kung Fu practitioners. Following the Lion Dance, you will see forms, or choreographed routines, performed by the Lion Dancers. The early martial artists, studying in Buddhist temples, mimiced the fighting styles of the animals in nature that they observed such as the tiger and the crane, other styles also include the leopard, praying mantis, eagle, snake and dragon. But mostly the lion movements are feline in nature.

The costume is composed of many symbolic shapes. The bird shaped horn represents the phoenix. The ears and tail are of the unicorn. The protruding forehead, adorned with a mirror which deflects evil forces, and the long beard are characteristic of Asian dragons. The lion walks back and forth, in a zigzag path, in order to confuse evil spirits, which the Chinese believe move in straight lines. For a proper lion dance, the movements must match the music played by a minimum of three pieces: drum, gong and cymbal. Either the person performing in the lion head or the drummer initiates the movement and signals the other, so that the movement and music is synchronized.

Finally, the act of eating and dispersing of the greens symbolizes the distribution of wealth and good fortune to all those present. These symbols combine to cure sickness, bless marriages and guard against misfortune.