From April 29 to 30, as part of the series of events commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Xiqiao Mountain Scenic Area, the 2018 "Huang Feihong Cup" 12th National South-North Lion Dance Kings Competition and Water Lion Challenge were held at Tianhu Park on Xiqiao Mountain. A total of 19 lion dance teams from across the country competed in a thrilling showdown.
After two days of fierce competition, the Bilingtang Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe from Yanluo Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, won the high-pole Southern Lion championship, while the water lion title went to the Xiebian Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe from Dali, Nanhai, and the Northern Lion crown was claimed by Wuhan Sports University.
19 Lion Dance Teams Vie for the Throne
The 2018 "Huang Feihong Cup" 12th National South-North Lion Dance Kings Competition and Water Lion Challenge, held as part of the series of events commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Xiqiao Mountain Scenic Area, was jointly organized by the Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (Tourism Bureau) of Nanhai District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, and the People's Government of Xiqiao Town, Nanhai District, Foshan City. It was co-hosted by the Foshan Nanhai District Martial Arts and Dragon Lion Sports Association, the Office of the Management Committee of Xiqiao Mountain Scenic Area, Nanhai District, Foshan City, and the Xiqiao Mountain Forest Company Tourism Development Corporation, with support from the Guangdong Provincial Social Sports Center and the Guangdong Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association.
Since its inception, the event has been held at Tianhu Park on Xiqiao Mountain. After 12 consecutive editions, it has become an important platform for promoting Chinese Southern Lion culture. This year’s "Huang Feihong Cup" World Chinese Lion Dance Kings Competition attracted 19 lion dance teams from around the globe, with eight teams competing in each of the two Southern Lion high-pole and water lion events, and three teams in the Northern Lion category.
Promoting Southern Lion Culture and Cultural Tourism Industry Development
To enhance visitors' interactive experience with lion dance culture, a Classic Lion Dance Culture Garden was set up in the square of Tianhu Park. The most eye-catching attraction was the 5-meter-high Bench Mountain in the center of Tianhu Square, where the Liu Bei Lion, Guan Yu Lion, and Zhang Fei Lion performed daring leaps to "pluck the greens," showcasing the bravery, loyalty, and other virtues of traditional lion dance to spectators.
Xiqiao Town is accelerating the development of a Lingnan cultural tourism town, seizing opportunities from cooperation between Guangdong, Guangxi, and Guizhou, as well as Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong, and capitalizing on Foshan’s active integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. With the Tingyin Lake area (including the Baiyun Cave Scenic Area of Xiqiao Mountain) as the core zone, the town aims to create a Lingnan cultural tourism town that integrates vacation travel, eco-leisure, Zen wellness, academic exchange, film and animation, and cultural creativity.
Guan Haiquan, Mayor of Xiqiao Town, stated that once the Feihong Pavilion in the Tingyin Lake area is completed, it will serve as a venue for regular Southern Lion and martial arts performances, developing it into a signature tourism attraction to promote and preserve Lingnan culture. Meanwhile, the Tianhu stage on the mountain will remain the competition venue for the Lion Dance Kings and is slated for environmental and equipment upgrades. In the future, development will integrate the construction of the Lingnan cultural tourism town, fostering coordinated growth both on and off the mountain to advance Southern Lion culture and the cultural tourism industry of Xiqiao Mountain.
Polishing the “China’s Famous Town of Dragon and Lion Dance” Brand
On April 28, the China Southern Lion Dance Development Symposium, part of the series of events commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Xiqiao Mountain Scenic Area, was held in Xiqiao. Representatives from relevant municipal, district, and town government departments, heads of dragon and lion dance associations from across the country, and experts and scholars gathered to offer insights on optimizing the Lion Dance Kings Competition, discussing the advancement, heritage, culture, and industrial growth of Chinese Southern Lion dance.
As “China’s Famous Town of Dragon and Lion Dance,” Xiqiao has hosted the first World Chinese Lion Dance Kings Competition since 2005. After more than a decade of dedication, the annual “May Day” National South-North Lion Dance Kings Competition and the “National Day” World Chinese Lion Dance Kings Competition have become influential lion dance events with national and even global reach. In 2016, the Xiqiao Mountain Lion Dance Kings Competition was honored as one of “China’s Top Ten Premium Sports Tourism Events.” Between 2015 and 2016, the CCTV New Year’s Cup Lion Dance Kings Competition was also held here.
“We must firmly believe in the ‘Dragon and Lion brand,’ innovate to develop unique features for Xiqiao’s lion competitions, and integrate resources to build the lion dance brand,” said Li Jie, Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association.
Liang Dinghui, Deputy Director of the Office of the Xiqiao Mountain Scenic Area Management Committee and General Manager of the Xiqiao Mountain Forest Park Tourism Development Corporation, proposed designating specific areas within the Xiqiao Mountain scenic area for the Lion Dance Kings Competition, while upgrading competition facilities and tourism amenities in Tianhu Park to comprehensively enhance the event’s infrastructure.
Yu Hao, Deputy Director of Department II of the Social Sports Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and Secretary-General of the Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association, suggested leveraging external expertise and resources to create a culturally rich, lightly competitive event that appeals to the public, and to differentiate the biannual Lion Dance Kings Competitions.
Liang Huiyan, Director of the Nanhai District Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, noted that with the completion of hotels in the Tingyin Lake area and improvements to Xiqiao Mountain’s transportation system, parking facilities, cable cars, and other infrastructure, there is hope that the lion dance culture will drive the development of tourism and services in the scenic area and surrounding regions. This will foster innovative integration of traditional culture and cultural tourism industries, establishing Xiqiao as a hub for Chinese dragon and lion kung fu cultural exchange.