What are the customs of Lantern Festival?

The origin of the Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese festival, as early as 2000 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty, the Lantern Festival Lantern Appreciation began in the Eastern Han Dynasty Mingdi period, the Ming Emperor, who advocated Buddhism, heard that Buddhism has the 15th day of the first month of the Buddhist monks to see the Buddha's relics, lighted lamps to honor the Buddha's practice, the night of the day on the order in the Imperial Palace and temples lighted lamps to honor the Buddha, so that the scholarly people have hung lamps. Later, this Buddhist ceremonial festival gradually formed a grand folk festival. The festival has gone through a process of development from the palace to the folk, from the Central Plains to the whole country.

In the time of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, the 15th day of the first lunar month was designated as the Lantern Festival. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the festival of "Taiyi God" was held on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar. (Taiyi: the god who dominates everything in the universe). When Sima Qian created the "Taichu Calendar", the Lantern Festival was already recognized as a major festival.

Another theory is that the custom of burning lanterns at the Lantern Festival originated from the Taoist "Three Elements"; the 15th day of the first month is the Upper Elements Festival, the 15th day of the 7th month is the Middle Elements Festival, and the 15th day of the 10th month is the Lower Elements Festival. In charge of the upper, middle and lower three yuan respectively for the sky, earth, human three officials, the heavenly officials happy, so on the first yuan festival to light.

The Lantern Festival festival period and festival activities, is with the development of history and extend, expand. In terms of the length of the festival, the Han Dynasty only one day, to the Tang Dynasty has been three days, the Song Dynasty is up to five days, the Ming Dynasty is since the eighth light, until the night of the seventeenth day of the first month of the lights, the whole ten days. With the Spring Festival, the daytime for the city, bustling, night lights, spectacular. Especially the delicate, colorful lights, making it the climax of the entertainment activities during the Spring Festival. To the Qing Dynasty, and added a dragon dance, lion dance, running boats, stilt walkers, twisting rice-planting songs and other "hundreds of theater" content, just shortened the festival period of four to five days.

On the origin of the Lantern Festival, there are several interesting folk legends:

1 about the legend of the lamp

The legend says that a long time ago, there are a lot of fierce birds and beasts, all around the harm to people and livestock, the people will organize to fight them, there is a bird of God is trapped in a lost and landed on the earth, but accidentally was unknowingly hunters to shoot dead. The emperor was furious when he found out about it, and immediately sent a decree ordering the heavenly soldiers to come to earth on the 15th day of the first month to set fire to all human and animal properties on earth. The emperor's daughter is kind-hearted, can't bear to see the people suffer innocently, so she risked her life and secretly drove the auspicious clouds to the earth, and told the news to the people. When the people heard the news, it was as if a thunderbolt had rung over their heads. They were so scared that they did not know what to do. It was only after a long time that an old man came up with an idea, saying, "On the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth days of the first month, every family should set up lanterns, light firecrackers, and set off fireworks in their houses. In this way, the Emperor of Heaven will think that people have been burnt to death".

All of them nodded their heads in agreement and went off to make preparations. On the night of the fifteenth day of the first month, the Heavenly Emperor looked down and found the earth a red light and a loud noise, for three nights in a row, and thought it was the flames of a great burning fire, and was greatly pleased to be in the midst of it. The people thus preserved their lives and their property. In honor of this success, from then on, every first month of the fifteenth, every family hangs lanterns, fireworks to commemorate this day.

2The Lantern Festival was set up in honor of "Ping Lu" during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty

Another legend says that the Lantern Festival was set up during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty to commemorate "Ping Lu". After the death of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, Liu Ying, the son of Empress Lu, ascended the throne as Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Hui was weak and indecisive, and the power gradually fell into the hands of Empress Lu.

After the illness and death of Empress Lu, all of them were afraid of being harmed and ostracized. So, they secretly gathered at the home of the general Lu Lu Lu and ****planned for a rebellion in order to completely seize the Liu's kingdom.

This matter spread to Liu's royal family, King of Qi, Liu Sang's ears, Liu Sang in order to protect Liu's kingdom, decided to start a military crusade against all the Lü and then with the founding of the veteran Zhou Bo, Chen Ping contact, designed to lift the Lü Lü, "all the Lü's chaos," and finally was completely pacified.

After the rebellion was quelled, Liu Heng, the second son of Liu Bang, was crowned Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, and the Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, the second son of Liu Bang, was given the title of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. Deeply impressed by the hard-won peace and prosperity, Emperor Wen set the 15th day of the first month of the year in which the "Lü's Rebellion" was quelled as a day of joy for the people, and every house in the capital was decorated with lanterns and colors to celebrate the occasion. From then on, the fifteenth day of the first month became a folk festival celebrated by all the people - the "Lantern Festival".

3 Dongfang Shuo and the Lantern Festival Girl

This legend is related to the custom of eating Lantern Festival: According to legend, Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty had a favorite minister named Dongfang Shuo, who was kind and funny. One winter day, it snowed heavily for a few days , and Dongfang Shuo went to the imperial garden to fold plum blossoms for Emperor Wu. When he entered the garden, he found a courtesan in tears, ready to throw herself into a well. Dongfang Shuo rushed to her rescue and asked her why she wanted to commit suicide. It turned out that the courtesan's name was Yuan Xiao (元宵), and she had two parents and a younger sister at home. Since she entered the palace, she never had the chance to meet her family. Every year to the end of the spring season, more than usual miss their families. She felt that it would be better for her to die than to be able to fulfill her filial piety in front of her parents. When Dongfang Shuo heard her story, he sympathized with her and assured her that he would try to reunite her with her family.

One day, Dongfang Shuo went out of the palace and set up a divination booth on Chang'an Street. Many people were eager to ask for his fortune. Unexpectedly, every person's request was "the 16th day of the first month, the fire burns my body". For a while, Chang'an was in a great panic. People asked for a solution to the disaster. Dongfang Shuo said, "On the evening of the 13th day of the first month, the Fire God will send a red-clothed goddess down to visit the earth, and she is the messenger who has been ordered to burn Chang'an, I will give you the copied verse, so that the present son of heaven can think of a solution." After saying this, he threw down a red post and went away. The people picked up the red post and hurriedly sent it to the palace to report to the emperor.

Han Wu Di received a look, only to see written on it: "Chang'an in the robbery, the fire burned the Imperial Palace, fifteen days of fire, the flame red night", he was shocked, and hastened to invite the resourceful Oriental Shuo. Dongfang Shuo pretended to think for a moment, then said: "I heard that the fire god gentleman loves to eat dumplings, the palace Lantern is not often for you to make dumplings? On the fifteenth night, you can let the Lantern make soup dumplings. Banzai burned incense and made offerings, and ordered every family in Kyoto to make dumplings to honor the Fire Goddess. Then, you will summon your subjects to hang lanterns together on the fifteenth night, and light firecrackers and set off fireworks all over the city, as if the city is on fire, so that you can hide it from the Jade Emperor. In addition, notify the people outside the city, the fifteenth night into the city to watch the lanterns, mixed in the crowd to eliminate disasters and solve the problem". When the Jade Emperor heard this, he was very happy, so he sent a decree to do as Dongfang Shuo's method.

To the fifteenth day of the first month of the Chang'an city of lights, colorful, tourists come and go, very lively. The parents of the courtesan Yuan Xiao also took their sister into the city to watch the lanterns. When they saw the words written "Lantern" large palace lanterns, surprise shouted: "Lantern! When they saw the big lantern with the word "Yuanxiao" written on it, they shouted in surprise: "Yuanxiao!

After such a lively night, the city of Chang'an was indeed safe and sound. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very happy, then ordered every first month of the future to make dumplings for the fire god king, the first month of the fifteenth as usual, the whole city hanging lights and fireworks. Because the best dumplings, people called the dumplings Lantern, this day is called the Lantern Festival.

The words of the Lantern Association

Lantern Lantern is the traditional custom of our people. Throughout the ages, there are not only a large number of popular Lantern Festival poems, but also left countless interesting Lantern Festival chanting lamp association.

Northern Song Dynasty, a man called Jia Sidao town guard Huaiyin (now Yangzhou), one year on the Lantern Festival lights, some of the guests picked Tang poetry for door lamps joints customers "the world three points of the moon night, Yangzhou ten miles of small red building." It is said that this link for our country's earliest lamp link. Since then, there have been people to follow suit, in the door or conspicuous columns hanging wall lamps, door lamps, not only for the Lantern Festival added festive interest, but also for the people who appreciate the lights to increase the appreciation of the content.

Being known as the "father and son, two bachelors, old and young two prime ministers" of the Qing Dynasty Tongcheng, Anhui Province, Zhang Ying, Zhang Tingyu, are able to poems and good right. One year the Lantern Festival, Zhang House as usual, hanging lights, firecrackers. The old chancellor of the United States out of the test subjects: "high burning red candles reflecting the sky, bright, light paved the ground." Little Tingyu pondering when he heard a firecracker outside the door, suddenly comprehend, on said that ※ "low-point firecracker shock the earth, loud, gas spit sky." The pair of neat, seamless, can be called a wonderful pair.

I'm afraid the most talked about is the Northern Song Dynasty Wang Anshi wonderful matchmaking story. Wang Anshi was 20 years old when he went to Beijing to catch the examination, the Lantern Festival passing through a place, walking while enjoying the lights, see a large family hanging high horse lamps, under the lights hanging a couplet, soliciting for marriage. United Kingdom said: "horse lamps, lights go horse, lights off horse stop." Wang Anshi saw, a moment of the answer is not out, will be silently remembered in mind. To the capital, the examiner to the wind fluttering flying tiger flag out of the showpiece "flying tiger flag, flag flying tiger, flag roll tiger hide body." Wang Anshi, that is, to recruit the joint response out, was taken as a scholar. Returning to his hometown passed the family, heard that the finger of marriage is still no one out, then the examiner's out of line back to the son-in-law was recruited for the fast son-in-law. A pair of coincidental couplets, actually achieved Wang Anshi two big happy events.

Legend has it that Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, went on a trip during the Lantern Festival in one year, and met a scholar, who was quite talkative. Zhu Di out of the first couplet to test his talent, the couplet: "Lights bright moon bright, lights and moon long bright, Ming unification." The showman immediately on the next line of ideas, "Jun Le Min Le, the people of the same music, Yongle for ten thousand years." "Yongle" is the year of Emperor Chengzuo, Zhu Di was delighted, so he gave him the first prize.

Legend has it that one year during the Lantern Festival, Emperor Qianlong took a group of civil and military ministers, and went to watch the Lantern Festival in high spirits. Left to see a variety of colorful lanterns, beautiful; right to see a variety of lanterns chic fun, intriguing. See happy, the Qianlong emperor accompanied his ministers also came up with a riddle, let everyone guess a guess. Accompanying bachelor Ji Xiaolan a moment to think, on the Palace Lanterns wrote a pair of couplets

Black is not, white is not, red and yellow is more not. and foxes and wolves and cats and dogs as if they were neither domestic animals nor wild beasts.

Poetry is not, words are not, the Analects are not. I'm not sure what I'm talking about. I'm not sure what I'm talking about, but I'm not sure what I'm talking about.

The Qianlong Emperor looked at the meditation, civil and military ministers one by one scratching their heads, how can not guess, and finally or Ji Xiaolan himself revealed the answer to the riddle: riddle.

Light Appreciation Poem

"A song of spring like the sea, a thousand lights night like day". There are countless poems praising the lanterns of the Lantern Festival by writers and writers throughout the ages, which are still interesting to read today.

During the Tang Dynasty, the Lantern Festival has developed into an unprecedented lantern market. The capital "for the lantern wheel twenty feet high, dressed in brocade, decorated with gold and silver, burning 50,000 lamps, clustered as a flower tree". Tang Dynasty poet Su flavor of the "15th night of the first month" poem cloud weeds "fire trees and silver flowers, star bridge iron locks open. Dark dust with the horse to go, the moon comes by people." Depicts the lights and the moon, the tourists weaving, lively scene. Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Yue has also used poetry to praise the name of the site, "Calyx building door dew new, Chang'an city peace people. Dragons in the fire tree thousands of lights flame, the chicken stepped on the lotus flower long live the spring." The Lantern Festival Lantern Festival scene described to the fullest. Li Shangyin, on the other hand, used the poem "The moonlight and lights filled the Imperial City, and the fragrant carriage overflowed through the streets" to depict the grand scale of the lanterns at that time. It is also worth mentioning that the Tang Dynasty poet Cui Liquid's "on the New Year's Eve" website: "Jade leaks and copper pots and do not rush, the iron passes through the golden locks of the bright open; who can see the moon to sit idly, where to hear the lights do not seem to be." Here, although there is no positive description of the Lantern Festival, but implies a very joyful and pleasant warm bustling scene.

The Lantern Festival in the Song Dynasty is even more spectacular, the lamp market is more spectacular. Su Dongpo has a poem that colleagues "lights home, singing everywhere building." Fan Chengda also has a poem wrote guests "Wutai ancient prosperity, preferring the Lantern Festival shadow play." The poem "shadow light" is "horse lanterns". The great lyricist Xin Qiji once had a queer ancient recitation of the words to celebrate the feast of the Lantern Festival: "The east wind releases a thousand flowers at night, more blowing down, flowers like rain. BMW carving car incense all over the road. Wind xiao sound, jade pot light turn, a night of fish and dragon dance.

The Ming Dynasty was even more extensive, the Lantern Lantern from three nights to ten nights. Tang Bohu had poems praising the Lantern Festival, bringing people into the charming Lantern Festival night. Poetry said: "There are lights without the moon is not a mistake, there are no lights do not count spring. Spring to the earth like jade, lights burn under the moon like silver. Full street pearl and jade tour spring women, boiling ground singing and singing race society God. If you don't show your bottle and open your mouth to laugh, how can you get rid of this good time."

In addition to a variety of lanterns, there are also dancing torches, fireballs, firestorms, etc. In the Qing Dynasty, the Lantern Festival was a lively scene. Ruan Yuan has Yangcheng lantern market poem cloud: "sea chelating cloud phoenix clever and exquisite, return to the German door Ming column color screen, the city fire barbarians Bin Yu material force, the long years of Yang De re immortal spirit. The moon can be full of spring light throughout the night, people like visiting horses have not stopped; is said to be Yingzhou double guests to the book window more ten thousand lamps green." Qing Dynasty poet Yao Yuanzhi wrote the "Wing Lantern Festival" poems: "flower bees and butterflies take advantage of the joy of madness, BMW fragrant car night is long. Twelve buildings in front of the lights like fire, four Ping Street outside the moon like frost." More vivid, wonderful chic.

The Lantern Festival is full of poetic and romantic colors, often linked with love. Throughout the ages, there are many poems that express love and adoration through the Lantern Festival. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu's words, "This year's Lantern Festival, the moon and the lamps are still the same; I don't see last year's people, the tears are full of spring shirtsleeves." The song is about the pain of longing for the lover.

Customs

The Lantern Festival, in addition to the Lantern Festival, food customs are also very fascinating. Oil hammer Lantern Festival food appeared in the Tang and Song dynasties, there are oil hammer, the Song Dynasty, "Miscellaneous Records of the Year" said: "on the Yuan Festival Food Jiao hammer the most prevalent and long." Explain the oil hammer for the Song Dynasty Bianzhong (now Kaifeng, Henan) Lantern Festival festival food. What kind of food is oil hammer? According to "Taiping Guangji" of Song Dynasty, the filling of hammer was taken out from the silver box after the oil was hot. Dough it with something in the soft flour that has been made. Put the dough into a pot and cook it. Fish it out with a silver tool and put it into the freshly drilled well water to soak it. Then, put the oil hammer into a frying pan and deep-fry it for three to five minutes. Eat up "the flavor of the crunchy beauty, unspeakable". It turns out that the oil hammer in the Tang and Song dynasties is the later said fried Lantern, this record can be used as today's development of "imitation of the Tang Dynasty dishes" for reference. Oil hammer after more than a thousand years of development, its method and varieties have been quite local characteristics, Guangdong Province alone, there will be Fan genus of "through the heart of fried pile", Dongguan "Lu pile", Jiujiang "fried pile" and so on, can really be called "fried pile".

Yuan Yuan's "Pancake Pile", "Pancake Pile", "Pancake Pile", "Pancake Pile", "Pancake Pile", and so on.

The Lantern Festival is also known as dumplings, said dough, round, etc.. Lantern Festival to eat dumplings, the earliest see the Southern Song poet Song Bidai's "Pingyuan renewed draft", the book has "Lantern Festival cooking floats broad son, the predecessor does not seem to have been endowed with this" record. Floating circles in the Song Dynasty, also known as soup dumplings. To the Southern Song Dynasty, only Lin'an on the New Year's Day food, there are lactose rounds, yam rounds, pearl rounds, Chenggong sand rounds, kumquat water ball, Chenggong powder water ball and dumplings, and so on. So, why did these "rounds", which are made of similar rice flour, become the food for the Shangyuan Festival? Originally, the Lantern Festival must eat the Lantern Festival, to take the auspicious meaning of the "ball as the moon". To the Ming Dynasty, the Lantern Festival food as the first Yuan Festival in Beijing has been very common. The method of production is glutinous rice flour, inside the walnut kernel, sugar, rose for the filling, sprinkled with water and rolled into, such as walnuts large, that is, the southeast is also known as soup dumplings. In the Qing Dynasty, the imperial kitchen made by the palace flavor "eight treasures Lantern". As early as in the Kangxi years that is rumored for the dynasty and the countryside. Peach Blossom Fan, the author of the famous drama Kong Shangren on the eight treasures of the Lantern Festival had such poetic characters "Purple cloud tea poured manna, eight treasures of the Lantern Festival effect within the do." Lantern development to today, has formed a different region, different flavors, colorful features. Face lamps, also known as by the face of the lamp, is made of flour lamps, more popular in the northern region. Noodle lamps in various forms, some do lamps twelve bucket (leap year thirteen), put cooking oil inside the lamp to light, or put the noodle lamps in the pot to steam, depending on the lamps after the extinction of the oil in the lamps or how much water left in the lamp after steaming in order to divine the coming year twelve months of water, drought, which is not scientifically developed in the era, its practice is understandable. Such as the Qing Dynasty Qianlong years Shaanxi "cone south county record" in the name of the site "the first month of the fifteenth, to buckwheat flour steaming calendars burning lamps, according to the twelfth month, in order to divine the rainfall." Expressed the wish of people praying for rain and wind. Noodle lamps in the first month of the 16th day of cooking or steaming and eating. Qing Xianfeng years, Shanxi "Chengcheng County Zhi" in the name of the people "on the first day of the first month of the fifteenth steamed buckwheat noodles for lamps, oil injection lamps, the next morning to eat." At present, rural areas still have this custom.

Noodles for the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival this day dinner food. Ancient "lantern Lantern Lanterns, falling lantern noodles, eat after looking forward to next year" folk proverb. This food is popular in the region north of the Yangtze River. Yi Hui chronicle of the year: "(first month) eighteen lamps, people eat noodles, commonly known as 'on the lamp round son of the lamp face', each family since the feast Zhiqing." Eating noodles at the end of the month means that the celebrations continue uninterrupted.

Sticky cake is also known as rice cake. In addition to the Lantern Festival Lanterns, noodles, there are also eat sticky cake. Tang Dynasty famous doctor Sun Simiao's "prepare anxious thousand gold to be square - food treatment" in the name of the whitebread "since the beam rice, sweet, slightly cold, non-toxic, in addition to heat, beneficial gas." After the Tang Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty also has a Lantern Festival food cake records.

The bad soup Zhejiang Taizhou area every year on the 14th day of the first month to see the lanterns after eating the bad soup, with shredded meat, asparagus, mushrooms, fungus, fresh dragon, dried beans, oil bubbles, Sichuan bean board, spinach, etc. fried, and then add a little to the rice flour, boiled into a salty paste of food. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, we drink sweet soup, made of sweet potato flour or lotus root flour with lotus seeds, sweet dates, cinnamon and so on.

In addition, the area of Pujiang, Zhejiang Province, eat steamed buns, wheat cakes. Steamed buns are made of flour, and wheat cakes are rounded, taking the meaning of "hair children and grandchildren are reunited".

Eating Lantern Festival

The 15th day of the first month to eat Lantern Festival, "Lantern Festival" as a food, in our country has a long history. Song Dynasty, the folk that is popular a Lantern Festival to eat the novelty of food. This kind of food, the earliest called "floating yuanzi" later called "Lantern", businessmen also beautifully called "Yuanbao". Lantern that is "dumplings" to sugar, rose, sesame, bean paste, yellow cinnamon, walnuts, nuts, jujube paste, etc. for the filling, wrapped in glutinous rice flour into a round shape, can be meat or vegetarian, with a variety of flavors. It can be boiled in soup, deep-fried or steamed, and has the meaning of reunion. Shaanxi dumplings are not wrapped, but in the glutinous rice flour "roll" into, or cook Division or deep-fried, hot, hot, reunion.

Guanyuan Lamp

When Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty was advocating Buddhism during the Yongping period (58-75 A.D.), Cai Chuan, who had returned from India with the Dharma, claimed that on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the country of Mahabharata, monks gathered to venerate the relics of the Buddha, which was an auspicious time to attend the Buddha's service. Han Mingdi in order to promote Buddhism, ordered the first night of the first month in the palace and the temple "light table Buddha". Since then, the Lantern Lantern custom by the original only held in the palace and spread to the people. That is, every first month of the fifteenth, regardless of the scholarly or common people to hang lights, urban and rural all-night lights.

The custom of releasing lanterns on the first night of the new year developed into an unprecedented lantern market in the Tang Dynasty, when Chang'an, the capital, was already the world's largest metropolis with a population of one million people and an affluent society. Under the personal advocacy of the emperor, the Lantern Festival was held more and more luxurious. After the Middle Tang Dynasty, it became a national carnival. Tang Xuanzong (A.D. 685 - 762), the beginning of the heyday, Chang'an lamp market is very large, burning lamps 50,000, lanterns, lanterns, the emperor ordered to do giant lamp building, as wide as 20 rooms, 150 feet high, bright gold, extremely spectacular.

Song Dynasty, Lantern Festival Lantern Festival both in scale and the fantasy of the lights are better than the Tang Dynasty, and the activities of the more folkloric, stronger national characteristics. Later generations of Lantern Festival continues to develop, the festival of lights is also getting longer and longer,. Tang Dynasty Lantern Festival is "one day before and after the first yuan", the Song Dynasty and in the sixteen days after the addition of two days, the Ming Dynasty was extended to eight to eighteen by the whole ten days.

To the Qing Dynasty, the Manchus dominated the Central Plains, the court no longer run the Lantern Festival, but the folk Lantern Festival is still spectacular. The date was shortened to five days, and continues to this day.

Lanterns have the meaning of brightness and addition of children in Taiwanese folklore. Lighting lanterns has the meaning of illuminating the future, and in Taiwanese, lanterns harmonize with ding to represent the birth of a boy, so in the past, women would deliberately swim under the lanterns on the Lantern Festival in the hope of "drilling the foot of the lanterns to give birth to eggs" (that is, drilling under the lanterns and swimming, so as to give birth to a boy).

Lion Dance

Lion Dance, is China's excellent folk art, every Lantern Festival or gatherings and celebrations, folk lion dance to cheer. This custom originated in the Three Kingdoms period, began to popularize the North and South Dynasties, has been more than a thousand years of history. According to legend, it was first imported from the western region, the lion is Manjushri Bodhisattva's mount, with the introduction of Buddhism into China, the lion dance activities also imported into China. The lion was a tribute brought back by Zhang Qian, sent by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, together with the peacock. The technique of the lion dance was introduced from the "mask play" of the Western Liang, and it is also believed that the lion dance was created in the army in the fifth century, and later introduced into the folklore. Both claims have their own basis, and today it is difficult to judge their rights and wrongs. However, during the Tang Dynasty, the Lion Dance has become an activity prevalent in the court, military and civil society. Tang Duan Anjie "music miscellaneous search" said: "the play has five square lions, more than ten feet high, each dressed in five colors, each lion, there are twelve people, wearing red smudged forehead, clothing painted clothes, holding a red whisk, known as the lion Lang, dancing peace music." Poet Bai Juyi "Xiliang Kabuki" poem has a vivid depiction of this: "Xiliang Kabuki, Xiliang Kabuki, masked hu people fake lions. Carved wood for the head and silk for the tail, gold plated eyes and silver teeth. Fenxun sweater swinging both ears, as from the quicksand to ten thousand miles." The poem describes the lion dance at that time.

In the course of more than a thousand years of development, the lion dance has formed two styles of performance in the north and south. The northern school of lion dance is based on the performance of the "martial lion", that is, the Wei Dynasty "Rui Lion", which was authorized by Emperor Wu of Wei Dynasty. Small lion dance by one person, the big lion dance by two people, a standing lion dance head, a person bends down to dance the lion body and tail. The lion dancer is clad in a lion quilt, wearing the same color as the lion's body, green lion pants and gold claw hoof boots, people can not identify the lion dancer's body, its appearance and the real lion is very similar. The lion dancer, dressed as an ancient warrior, holds a rotating embroidered ball in his hand, and is accompanied by gongs, drums and cymbals to attract the lions. Under the guidance of the "Lion Lang", the lion performs tricks such as prancing, falling, jumping, ascending, worshipping, and other difficult maneuvers such as walking on a plum blossom pile, scurrying on a table, and stepping on a rolling ball. The southern school of lion dance to perform "Wen lion" is the main performance, the performance is concerned about the expression, there are scratching, shaking hair, licking hair and other actions, exquisite, amusing, but also more difficult to spit the ball and other skills. Southern Lion Dance is centered in Guangdong and popular in Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. Although the southern lion is also a two-person dance, but the lion dancers under the lantern pants, the top just draped over a piece of colorful lion and dance. And the northern lion is different from the "lion Lang" head wearing a big head Buddha mask, dressed in robes, waist colorful belt, holding a sunflower fan and teasing the lion, which dances a variety of beautiful strokes, the action is funny and interesting. There are many schools of Southern Lion Dance, including the "Cock Lion" of Qingyuan and Yingde, the "Big Head Lion" of Guangzhou and Foshan, the "Duckbill Lion" of Gaohe and Zhongshan, and the "Kirin Lion" of Dongguan. "Kirin Lion" in Dongguan, and so on. In addition to the different appearance of the southern lions, there are also different personalities. White-bearded lion dance range is not wide, not many varieties of colors, but calm and robust, dignified and powerful, known as "Liu Bei lion". Black-bearded red-faced lion, known as the "Guan Gong Lion", dancing brave and majestic, extraordinary temperament. Gray and white bearded lion, action rough and warlike, commonly known as "Zhang Fei Lion". Lion for the dignity of the beasts, the image of majestic and handsome, giving people a sense of majesty, courage. Ancient people took it as a symbol of bravery and strength, that it can drive away evil spirits and demons, blessing people and animals peace. So people gradually formed in the Lantern Festival and other major events in the custom of lion dance, in order to pray for life auspicious and peaceful.