Lions In The City

HOW DID THE lion dance come about? Legend has it that villagers in China would dress as a lion to scare away Nian, a monster that ate their crops and livestock. In addition, the villagers would bang gongs and cymbals, creating a huge racket to further frighten Nian. This same lion dance continues today during Chinese New Year - only now the purpose is to drum up good fortune for the rest of the year.

There are two types of lion dances - namely the northern and the southern, with the latter being more commonly performed in Singapore. A lion is taunted by a 'clown', and performs a cai qing - which translates as "pluck the green" in Chinese. The ritual involves overcoming obstacles to get a head of lettuce or vegetables and retrieve a red packet from within.

Before the war, lion dancers could go up as high as six to seven floors to grab greens from a 30 metre height. Lion dances now tend to be more staid events with dancers forming a human pyramid or engaging in pomelo-peeling antics. But when a full blown performance complete with acrobatics is on the cards, it's something not to be missed.