The lion dance is part and parcel of every Chinese New Year. It is performed to chase away bad luck and to summon good luck for the coming year.
Green lettuce is hung from high places. In Chinese, the word for vegetable is ‘cai’ and it sounds like the word for fortune. The ‘lions’ are required to perform acrobatic moves and reach for the lettuce.
Fire crackers are also lit. The loud sound is believed to scare bad spirits away.
A lion dance in action.
Close-up of the lion heads…
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