Lion Dances and Dragon Parades are an essential part of every Chinese New Year celebration, or rather, ANY Chinese Festival for that matter, and in Hong Kong that is no exception.
In fact, the city set a Guinnes World Record in 2011 for the largest Lion and Dragon Dance display which featured 1,111 Dragons and Lions. This gave way to a fantastic yearly event, the Hong Kong Dragon and Lion Dance Festival which takes place every year on New Year's Day January 1st, (NOT Chinese New Year's Day) and is an explosion of colour, glitter and roars with hundreds of troupes parading throughout the streets...
These traditional arts date back for more than a thousand years.
Besides being incredible acrobatic performances, in Chinese Culture it is believed that the Lions and the accompanying revelry of drums, gongs and
firecrackers, will scare away the bad spirits and
bring in the good luck in the coming year, and thus a Lion Dance is a "must" during the Chinese New Year festivities.
Where are the Lion and Dragon Dances during Chinese New Year in Hong Kong?
On any normal year during the Chinese New Year celebrations, Lion and Dragon Dances are performed just about everywhere. Regardless of where you are tripsing around town, chances are, you are able to catch one at some point or another, from businesses and office buildings, shopping centers to restaurants and hotels, even at the markets...
Besides the lively performances, it is quite a treat to browse around town the fantastic Lunar New Year displays as the lanterns, lucky plants, blooms and firecrackers spread all throughout the city.
Lion Dancers at the Chinese New Year Parade
Chances to catch a show are best at the many shopping centers in the city...
Chinese New Year Lion Dance Performance at Pacific Place
Chinese New Year Dragon Parade at Harbour City
Lion Dance performances at IFC Mall
At hotels and restaurants...
The Lunar New Year Festivities at Langham Place
At pedestrian malls throughout the city...
Lion Dances and gorgeous decorations at Lee Tung Avenue
At tourist attractions around town, Ngong Ping where the Big Buddha is located...
Lion Dances at Ngong Ping Village
At theme parks Disneyland and Ocean Park which normally have full programmes for the occasion.
Lion Dance performances at Ocean Park
Even if you're just strolling the markets, keep an eye out for those lions! After all, anybody that is in business will want to usher away all the accumulated bad luck, clean house and bring in the good fortune, so the Lion Dancers are sure to be welcomed by all anytime... anywhere!
Chinese New Year Lion Dancers at the Temple Street Night Market
Keep in mind that while most government offices, schools, banks, are closed for the public holidays during Chinese New Year, shops and restaurants remain open, shopping centers even offer extended hours. Attractions and theme parks remain open as usual, street markets close on the first and second day of Chinese New Year and reopen on the third day.
Lion Dances... Dragon Dances... what's the difference?
The Lion Dance is performed by a pair of dancers, one handles the head of the lion and the other half handles the tail.
The Dragon Dance is a team effort involving a dozen or more dancers. The long Dragon is held on poles carried by each dancer, they raise the poles up and down creating the Dragon's movements as they snake around the streets.
You can learn more about the Lion Dance and Dragon Dance at our sister site, China Family Adventure.
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