On July 13th, lion dance teams from major cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Johor, Malaysia, captivated a large crowd of tourists and lion dance enthusiasts at the Central Pavilion Square of Guangzhou Cultural Center. The high-stakes lion dance competition showcased skills even more intense than the summer heat.

Youth lion dance teams from Guangzhou, Foshan, Hong Kong, and Macao participated in the competition, with a special invitation extended to elite teams from Malaysia by Guangzhou Dragon and Lion Dance Association.

Accompanied by the thunderous beats of drums and gongs, the agile "lions" performed on various heights of plum blossom poles, each move brimming with elegance and vitality. Spectators erupted in awe and applause each time a "young lion" completed a series of fluid and high-difficulty maneuvers on the poles.

The event left Raphael, a lion dance enthusiast from Italy, in awe. He traveled to Guangzhou with his team from Weisong School, a martial arts school in Italy founded by the Chinese, specifically to participate in this lion dance activity. "I've been fascinated by Chinese kung fu movies since childhood," Raphael told reporters.

"I started learning dragon dance, lion dance, and fish dance at the martial arts school when I was ten. I have performed lion and dragon dances on the streets during Chinese New Year in Italy and Belgium. These performances not only showcase the charm of Chinese culture but also bring people joy," Raphael said.

After fierce competition, the Feiyang Dragon-Lion Dance Troupe from Guangzhou Baiyun Loong and Lion Dance Association won the championship of the high-stakes lion dance contest. The Lingnan Dragon-Lion Dance Troupe from Foshan and NamWah Kangkar Pulai Johor, Malaysia, took second and third places respectively.

Guangdong lion dance and Malaysian lion dance share the same roots. Guangdong lion dance is one of China's first national-level intangible cultural heritage representative projects, widely practiced in overseas Chinese communities. "High-stakes lion dance" is a national-level intangible cultural heritage representative project in Malaysia and a traditional cultural practice among local Chinese.

Teoh Boon Fooi, the chairman of NamWah Kangkar Pulai Johor, Malaysia, noted that there is a broad popular foundation for lion dance and other intangible cultural heritage projects in both China and Malaysia. The two countries have maintained frequent grassroots exchanges, with deep friendships and long-standing ties between lion dance teams in Johor, Malaysia, and Guangzhou, Guangdong.

He expressed the hope that the joint heritage application by China and Malaysia for the lion dance would greatly promote lasting friendship between the two countries and help the lion dance tradition transcend ethnic boundaries, reaching a broader audience.

Zhao Weibin, the chairman of Guangzhou Dragon and Lion Dance Association, remarked that this high-stakes lion dance skill exchange allowed all lion dance enthusiasts to experience the charm and spiritual essence of traditional Chinese culture firsthand. It is expected to further strengthen cultural exchanges in the GBA, deepen emotional connections among overseas Chinese, and promote cultural mutual learning and integration among different countries.

Source :Yangcheng Evening News

中马两国“雄狮少年”高桩炫技

7月13日，来自中国粤港澳大湾区主要城市的舞狮队伍与马来西亚柔佛州醒狮队，在广州文化馆中心阁广场展开了一场比炎炎夏日更火爆的高桩竞技赛，引来大批中外游客、舞狮爱好者围观打卡。

比赛汇聚了来自大湾区的广州、佛山、香港、澳门的青少年醒狮队，广州市龙狮协会还特别邀请了马来西亚精英狮队参与。

伴随着震天锣鼓声，灵巧的“雄狮”们在高低不同的梅花桩上穿越，每一个动作都充满了灵气与美感。每当桩上的“雄狮少年”完成一组行云流水般的高难度动作时，现场观赛的市民游客惊叹声此起彼伏，掌声雷动。

此次比赛让来自意大利的舞狮爱好者拉斐尔叹为观止。他跟着自己所在的意大利伟松武术学校一行人，专程来到广州参与此次醒狮活动。他告诉记者，自己从小就看过不少中国功夫相关电影，十分喜爱。

“我10岁就开始在武术学校学习舞龙、舞狮和舞鱼。曾经在中国新年期间，在意大利和比利时街头表演过舞狮和舞龙。舞狮表演不仅让意大利人民感受到中华文化的魅力，还给人们带来了快乐。”拉斐尔说。

经过激烈的角逐，广州市白云区龙狮协会飞扬龙狮团荣获此次高桩狮王争霸的冠军，亚军和季军则分别由佛山岭南龙狮团和马来西亚柔佛州南华武术龙狮团摘得。

广东醒狮与马来西亚醒狮同根同源。广东醒狮是中国首批国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目，广泛流传于海外华人社区。“高桩舞狮”是马来西亚国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目，也是当地华人的传统文化习俗。

马来西亚柔佛州龙狮总会会长张文辉表示，中马两国在舞狮等非遗项目领域有着广泛的民间基础，长期保持着高频的民间交流活动，马来西亚柔佛州的舞狮队伍更与广东广州醒狮队伍有着深厚友谊与多年情谊。

他期待，本次中马两国舞狮联合申遗，能够大力推动两国两地友谊长青，更助力舞狮跨越族群，走向更广阔的天地。

广州市龙狮协会会长赵伟斌表示，本次高桩醒狮技艺交流，让所有醒狮爱好者切身感受到了中国传统文化的魅力和精神内涵，必将进一步加强粤港澳大湾区文化交流、加深海外华侨情感联结、促进各国文化互鉴和融合。

文｜记者 周欣怡 何文涛 刘泳希
图｜记者 邓鼎园 实习生 林霖熠
拍摄｜记者 邓鼎园 何文涛 实习生 林霖熠
剪辑｜记者 王炯勋 温泽广
设计｜记者 麦宇恒
统筹｜记者 朱绍杰 麦宇恒
译 | 郑圣浩