Big Head Buddha of Southern Lion Dance

The traditional Lion Dance features the "Big Head Buddha". Wearing a big head mask like that of Maitreya Buddha, a silk tunic made in the water towns of Lingnan, and a broken fan, the lion dancers shake their heads and make all sorts of funny gestures. One of the "Big Head Buddha" legends: "Big Head Buddha" is the incarnation of Manjushri.

The lion is the king of the forest, the head of all beasts, fierce and unusual. Legend has it that the Jade Emperor arranged for Manjushri to tame the lion in order to domesticate it for human use.

The taming of the lion is very important in order to domesticate the lion in the animal kingdom into a lion that obeys human command. Folk believe that the lion tamed by Manjushri can bring joy and good fortune to people. Therefore, the Lion Dance begins with Manjushri training the lion on his mount, who, for fear of being recognized, is made up as the "Big Head Buddha" with a smile on his face and no worries. At the beginning of the lion dance, the lion is first put to sleep, and the "Big Head Buddha" brushes his teeth, rinses his mouth, wipes his face, bends his waist, drinks water, and then wakes up the lion, and the domesticated lion plays the traditional lion routine of rolling the embroidered ball according to the guidance of the "Big Head Buddha". The "big head Buddha" and the lion after the performance, and then by the disciples to perform boxing, qigong, weapons, sparring, etc., these are the basic sets of traditional lion.

The second legend of "Big Head Buddha" is that "Big Head Buddha" was a naughty boy.

A long time ago, a street in Foshan, living in a widow and her only son, the only son named Foshan, was born with a particularly large head, nicknamed "Big Head Buddha", "Big Head Buddha" likes to play the autumn colors, the mother thought that playing the autumn colors is a play, do not agree that he went to participate. But "Big Head Buddha" often went behind his mother's back to play. One year, the autumn color parade, "Big Head Buddha" secretly follow the autumn color team to play, the mother found out to catch up with her son; at that time in early autumn, the weather was still hot, the mother was holding a sunflower fan in her hand, as soon as she saw her son, she used the sunflower fan to hit his head, scolding him as she did so, "Big Head Buddha" dodged to the right and left, and "Big Head Buddha" dodged to the left and right, and "Big Head Buddha" dodged to the right. The "Big Head Buddha" was dodging left and right, in the autumn color team left and right, the crowd saw this scene "widowed mother on the street to beat the boy" farce, thought it was a new program of autumn color, can not help but applauded from the sidelines. Later, folk artists will be "big head Buddha" into a program of the autumn color parade, and retained to this day.

In Xiqiao, Liang Guangtai will play a full set of "big head Buddha" action. 2007, 63-year-old Xing Guangtai also took the national dragon and lion referee and coaching certificates, became the third national dragon and lion referee and coach of Xiqiao town.