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Hundreds of years ago, a small Chinese village was threatened on the eve of the lunar new year by local bandits who dressed themselves as strange beasts (nien). The beasts scared the villagers away and looted their homes and farmland. Frightened and discouraged from being left hungry and poor, the villagers decided to stand up to the unknown beast and crafted costumes that resembled a lion. These costumes were made of bamboo frames and covered with paper mache painted in bright colors and details. The dancers in the costumes would dance while others hit pots and pans to make noise. With all the commotion and costumed people dancing under the mysterious costumes, the villagers were able to scare away the bandits. This eventually led them to believe that the Lion Dance wards off bad luck, scares away evil spirits, and ushers in good luck. To commemorate the event, the dance was passed from generation to generation, gradually becoming a part of the Chinese traditional martial arts. Whenever the people celebrate, it was inevitable that the dance was performed as a form of thanks-giving. From that moment, the tradition of Lion Dance was born.
Although lions are not native in China, they came to this country via the famous Silk Road. Rulers in what is today Iran and Afghanistan sent lions to Chinese emperors as gifts in order to get the right to trade with Silk Road merchants. The lion dance dates back to the Han Dynasty (205 B.C. to 220 A.D in China) and during the Tang Dynasty (716-907 A.D.) it was at its peak. It was particularly performed during religious festivals. The lion dance was not only introduced in China, but also in Korea and Taiwan, where lions are not native as well. The dances are not exactly the same in these countries, but the symbolism is quite similar.
