Pingmen Green Lion, as a traditional folk art, mainly originated in the late Qing Dynasty and gained popularity around the founding of the People's Republic of China. It has a history of over a hundred years. Unlike other lion dances, the most special thing about Pingmen Green Lion is its color “Green”. According to local elders, the color green means "good fortune as one wishes and longevity" in Pingmen. To perform Green Lion Dance in important festivals is to pray for a healthy life and good weather.
Pingmen Green Lion
For generations, Pingmen people love to watch the lion dance. The lion dance pays particular attention to expressions with imitating movements including licking hair, scratching the head, paying respect, tumbling, jumping, etc., and the skill moves including ascending poles, passing overpass, etc. The lion dance is performed with grand and small gongs, drums, suonas and other instruments. The joy, anger, sorrow and happiness of the lion are mainly expressed through the speed of the drums. At the beginning of the lion dance, the lion goes around the performing site with slow drumming, and then lie down slowly at the center of the site to show that it’s tired and want to sleep. Then, the sleepy lion is shocked, with the lion's eyes, ears, and feet performing waking movements, and then the lion throb. Finally, it finishes the performance, thank the audience, and return to the backstage.
The production of Pingmen Green Lion is very particular and sophisticated. First of all, to use bamboo strips and ramie ropes to make lion heads, bodies, limbs, tails, etc; Secondly, use green cloth and hemp threads to produce skin and hair; Thirdly, use paints, red, yellow, green, etc., to paint eyes, nose and mouth. The lion dancer wears a lion fur-liked quilt, the same fur-colored pants and black boots with claws. The movements couple hardness and softness and are fascinating.
"Our green lion performance has been included in the municipal-level intangible cultural project. It will be displayed every year, and every time, there are a large number of people watching and applauding the performance. What a lively scene!" Fang Fuqiang, the Green Lion Dance performance inheritor, introduced.
Where to go:
Qikeng Village, Pingmen Town, Chun'an County 淳安县屏门乡齐坑村