When was the tradition of lion dancing formed in China?

Lions were not made in China, but were introduced to China in the Han Dynasty. As the old saying goes, lions can ward off evil spirits and ghosts, and they are worshipped as beasts and can resist demons. So there are stone lions, railings, bridges and so on in front of the palace. Lion dance is one of the traditional historical arts and local cultures in China, especially the lion dance performance has always been one of China people's favorite performances in large and small festivals. Lions also represent auspicious animals, so lion dancing has been a very popular folk activity since ancient times.

There are different opinions about the origin of lion dance. The text records the activities designed to receive guests after Tang Gaozu ascended the throne, in which the performance of "Five Faces Lion Dance" is considered to be the embryonic form of today's lion dance; Another way of saying it is that the lion dance was introduced from the Middle East, also known as the Golden Roar. 1900 years ago, through economic exchanges, the Iranian ambassador brought lions and other animals to China through the Silk Road. Later, people gradually processed and artistic the image of the lion. Lion dance was first held in the inner court of the palace, and later spread to the people. It was not popular at that time, but it was popular in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties because of the anti-Qing restoration organizations of the people and the convenience of gathering people to carry it. Lion dance was popular in Qing dynasty. The lion head would wear colorful clothes, hold a rope and tie a colorful ball to lead the lion to dance. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, folk lion dance began to spread abroad with its dance and martial arts movements, and became a project that overseas Chinese often performed in festivals.