China has a long tradition of lion dances in its folk arts. But the lion dance in southern China is quite different from that performed in the northern regions. At the 2003 China Lion Dance Invitation Competition, dancers from different regions across China gathered in the costal city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province.

A friendly competition was held among the northern and southern lion dancers who dazzled spectators with their extraordinary skills and acrobatics.

Guangdong Province is home to the traditional Southern Lion Dance. But at the Lion Dance Invitation Competition at Zhanjiang, some lion dance performances from northern China broadened the view of the local audience. Northern lion dancers from Beijing, Hebei, Liaoning, Henan and Shanxi brought a spectacular show to the people of Guangdong.

The northern lion dancers move majestically, appearing quite lifelike in their giant and colorful costumes. Two dancers usually perform complicated acts like climbing, walking on balls and see-sawing.

The southern lion dancers, on the other hand, look smaller and more agile. They walk and jump to the rhythm of gongs, and most notably, they perform martial arts moves on a tall pole, making it much closer to a form of acrobatics.

Whether from the south or north, the lion dance has a symbolic meaning to all the Chinese, signifying an awakening. The awakened lion, which is usually a metaphor for the Chinese nation, is now extending its majesty through its traditions to people across the world.

(CCTV December 4, 2003)