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| Nùng ethnic people charmed Hanoians with their unique cat-lion dance performance over the holiday. — Photo toquoc.vn |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — Nùng ethnic people in the northern mountain province of Lạng Sơn have charmed Hanoians with their unique cat-lion dance performance over the holiday.
The performance was part of a series of cultural activities held in the framework of ‘Lạng Sơn Market’ on Monday at Việt Nam’s ethnic Culture and Tourism Village in Sơn Tây District to celebrate National Day.
The so called cat-lion dance is an indispensable tradition for the Nùng people in Lạng Sơn, and is observed on occasions such as Lunar New Year, the Lồng Tồng Festival (a ceremony to pray for good weather and bumper crops), the Full Moon Festival and new home ceremonies.
The dance features music and martial arts. The dancers wear lions’ heads and cat masks painted in vibrant red, black, yellow or green. The dancers also have panther masks, monkey masks, sticks, knives and swords.
The dance has several meanings. It showcases their love for martial arts, symbolising luck and happiness, and the Nùng people believe that performing the dance wards off bad things.
The performance really comes to life thanks to the scary masks and impressive martial arts displays.
Lạng Sơn Province is home to around 90 dance troupes with thousands of dancers in the districts of Cao Lộc, Lộc Bình, Văn Lãng and Văn Quan. Each troupe has around 8 to 16 artists. — VNS
