ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
The Guangdong Lion Dance, a vital component of China's intangible cultural heritage, embodies rich historical, traditional, and artistic forms deeply rooted in Chinese culture and society. This study offers an exhaustive examination of the Guangdong Lion Dance, elucidating its historical evolution, stylistic attributes, and cultural essence. It delves into the complex cultural structure and dynamics of this significant element of China's intangible cultural heritage. The research accentuates the pivotal role of the Guangdong Lion Dance in traditional Chinese and societal interactions, underscoring its enduring relevance and transformative journey across centuries. Employing a literature review methodology, the study meticulously gathers and analyzes existing works and publications related to the Guangdong Lion Dance. It predominantly leverages databases like SCOPUS, Web of Science, and CNKI, focusing on keywords like "Lion Dance" and "Guangdong Lion Dance" to aggregate a wide array of scholarly articles, books, and digital archives for a comprehensive analysis that retraces the development, stylistic metamorphosis, and cultural resonance of the Guangdong Lion Dance. The primary findings unveil the Guangdong Lion Dance as a vibrant cultural symbol, intertwining martial arts, folklore, and collective celebrations. The results emphasize the artistic nuances and cultural significance of the Guangdong Lion Dance, highlighting its role in reinforcing cultural identity and community cohesion. It epitomizes the resilience, communal spirit, and cultural continuity of the Chinese people. The analysis delineates the dance's symbolic lexicon, elucidating its capacity to convey societal values, group identity, and spiritual aspirations. The study also identifies adaptive strategies of the Guangdong Lion Dance, showcasing its enduring relevance through its ability to contemporize while preserving core symbolic elements. This work enriches academic understanding of Chinese traditional culture and underscores the importance of protecting such cultural customs in an increasingly globalized world. The research advocates for in-depth explorations of cross-regional comparisons and diaspora extensions of the Guangdong Lion Dance to investigate its global dissemination and adaptability in multicultural contexts. Enhanced research will aid in comprehending the global footprint of the Guangdong Lion Dance, contributing to the protection and perpetuation of its vitality. Moreover, the study calls for attention to the economic and social impacts of lion dance performances on local communities, facilitating a comprehensive grasp of the dance's significance both within and beyond China's borders. Protecting such cultural practices is crucial as they evolve and resonate in the globalized world.
List of Representative Items of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. (2006). China Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved from https://www.ihchina.cn/project_details/12870/
Chen, X. (2016). Research on the Origin, Formation, and Development of Southern Lion Dance. Journal of Guangzhou Sport University, 36(4), 56-58.
https://doi.org/10.13830/j.cnki.cn44-1129/g8.2016.04.016
Chao, W. (2023). Research on the Origin, Development, and Cultural Characteristics of Guangdong Lion Dance's Qing Picking. Sports Goods and Technology, 527.
Liang, H., Ma, H., & Wang, J. (2018). Research on the Development of Lion Dance Movement. Sports World, 109-110. https://doi.org/10.16730/j.cnki.61-1019/g8.2018.07.065
Li, L. (2012). Research on the Inheritance and Development of Southern Lion - Taking Teng County Lion Dance as an Example. (Master's thesis, Guangxi University for Nationalities).
Guangdong Provincial Local History Compilation Committee. (2001). Guangdong Provincial Records. Guangdong People's Publishing House.
Li, G. (2009). A Brief Discussion on the Communication Path of Traditional Folk Dances in Guangdong. Cultural Heritage.
Huang, H. (2013). Research on the Development and Existing Problems and Countermeasures of Guangdong Lion Dance. Wide Angle of Society, 136-137.
https://doi.org/10.16743/j.cnki.cn45-1
Xie, Z. (2019). Research Outline on the Transition of Foshan Lion Dance. Journal of Foshan University (Social Science Edition), 37(3). https://doi.org/10.13797/j.cnki.jfosu.1008-018x.2019.0029
Yang, Y., Yang, J., & Sun, Y. (2022). Research on the Historical Evolution and Social Value of Lion Dance Movement in the New Era. Martial Arts Research. https://doi.org/107-112.10.13293/j.cnki.wskx.009531
Ye, C. (1984). The origin and tradition of Lingnan Lion Dance. Folklore Forum, 88-89.
Peng, M. (2020). Research on Brand Design of Tourism Products Based on Lingnan Xingshi Culture - Taking "Lingshifang" Brand Design as an Example. (Master's thesis, Nanchang Hangkong University).
Zhang, L. (2011). Research on the Historical Evolution and Development Trend of Southern Lion Movement. (Master's thesis, Hunan Normal University).
Cai, X. (2020). The Study on the Construction of Collective Memory of Cantonese about "Guangdong Lion" - Take the present situation of Guangzhou and Foshan as an example. (Master's thesis, Jinan University).
Xue, M. (2022). Based on the Fundamentals of Lion Dance Inheritance to Promote the Development of Local Cultural Arts - Oral History of Li Rongzai, the Representative Inheritor of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Guangdong Suixi Lion Dance. Voice of the Yellow River, 13, 22-24. https://doi.org/10.19340/j.cnki.hhzs.2022.13.024
Zhang, H. (2020). Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Suixi Lion Dance Culture from the Perspective of Symbiosis Theory (Doctoral dissertation, Fujian Normal University).
Hu, R. (2012). Research on the Development and Value of Lingnan Lion Dance. Sports Culture Guide, 136-138.
Huang, F. (2020). The Development and Exploration of Folk Culture - Taking the Ancestral Temple Lion Dance Performance as an Example. Artifact Identification and Appreciation, 55-57.
Jiang, M. (2011). The Origin and Cultural Connotation of Foshan "Lion Dance". Cultural Heritage, 152-156.
Duan, Q. (2006). Lion Dance Movement Course. Beijing Sport University Press.
Xie, Z. (2021). The Southward Spread of Lion Dance and the Origin Tracing of Guangdong Lion Dance. Art Communication Research·Academic Quarterly, 61-68.
Zhao, X. (2023). On the Multiple Inheritance Paths of Guangdong Lion Dance. Cultural Heritage, 96-103.
Xie, Z. (2022). On the Internal Basis for the Traditional Continuity of Lion Dance Culture - From the Perspective of Public Demand and Conceptual Identification. Journal of Foshan University (Social Science Edition), 40(2), 5-11.
https://doi.org/10.13797/j.cnki.jfosu.1008-018x.2022.0020
Lyu, S., Chan, R. S. K., & Olmedo, E. (2023). Sports and Heritage: A Review of the Chinese Lion Dance. Journal of Ethnic and Diversity Studies, 1(2).
Liu, B. (2013). Survival situation and Contemporary Transformation of Guangdong Lion Dance. Journal of Beijing Dance Academy, 98-101.
Li, M. (2017). Performing Chineseness: The lion dance in Newfoundland. Asian Ethnology, 76(2), 289–317.
(Qiu et al., 2024)
Qiu, L., Rahman, A. R. A., & Dolah, M. S. bin. (2024). Exploring the Evolution and Cultural Significance of Guangdong Lion Dance in Chinese Traditional Culture. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(2), 2131–2143.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seenavc at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode