Lion Dance: Xiaoxiang Lion Dance

The Xiaoxiang lion dance comes from the village of Xiaoxiang in Gongyi, Zhengzhou, a folk lion-dance performance handed down there across generations. Rooted in village life, it appears at New Year, temple fairs and festive occasions, carrying the folk meanings of inviting blessings and warding off ill fortune.

Two performers work as one beneath a lion costume, mimicking the beast's leaps, rolls and climbs to the beat of gongs and drums; the art demands strength and tight coordination, the atmosphere is lively, and the daring high passages best reveal the dancers' skill.

The Xiaoxiang lion dance is a national-level item of intangible cultural heritage. As a representative Central Plains folk lion dance, it gathers the festive spirit and collective teamwork of village life and embodies people's wishes for a good life.

In and around Xiaoxiang village in Gongyi, Zhengzhou, the lion dance can be watched during Spring Festival, temple fairs and folk celebrations — a fine way to feel the festive bustle of the Central Plains.