As the epidemic gradually eases, Hong Kong society has fully returned to normal. This year's Chinese New Year is becoming more and more popular in the market. The long-lost lion dance performance has also returned to the public. According to rumors, the busy scene aroused heated discussions, and some netizens even summarized the mistakes as "three years of no practice and unfamiliarity".
Guo Wenlong, head coach of the Kwok Kung Fu Golden Dragon Lion Dance Troupe, summed up the causes of lion dance failures into two main points, namely the impact of the epidemic on the industry and the lack of public awareness.
Guo Wenlong detailed the plight of the industry's shrinking industry for three years under the epidemic, revealing that many dragon and lion groups reluctantly disbanded due to unsustainable conditions, resulting in the loss of talent and the decline in standards.
Although the epidemic has subsided now, it is difficult for the skill level to return to the peak before the epidemic. He hopes that the public will understand, and predicts that it will take at least three years to return to normal.
Master Guo Wenlong has not stopped retiring, and still personally guides the troupe members to perform.
He admitted frankly that he no longer has a teaching class, and his apprentices are mostly teaching, and he is mainly responsible for guiding the team members to participate in the competition.
(Photo by Zheng Jiahui)
During the Lantern Festival this year, the Kwok Lions parade in the Yu Man Square shopping mall in Kwun Tong. The lion's head soared into the air with the support of the lion's tail, and opened its mouth to bite off the lettuce hanging from a high place, which is a homonym for "making money".
Guo Wenlong held his breath, watching the performance of the members of the troupe complete.
Master Guo has gray temples and elegant attire. He does not look like a martial arts practitioner. In fact, he has taught countless disciples and grandchildren over the years, and has won many awards in many competitions.
Now he is semi-retired and no longer teaches apprentices, but he still cares about dragons and lions, and he will teach the younger generation the key points in every performance or competition.
Fate is destined, Guo Wenlong said that he has been linked to dragons and lions all his life, and has formed an indissoluble bond with dragon and lion dances since his mother's womb.
His father, Master Guo Yongchang, was born in World War II. When he was a child, he worked part-time in a factory to earn a little money. It was depressing. The dragon and lion dance accompanied by the sound of gongs and drums became a childhood pleasure.
Although he has developed other careers, after several years, Master Guo returned to the field he is most familiar with, determined to carry forward the characteristic art culture of dragon and lion dance.
Guo Wenlong witnessed the changes of dragon and lion culture in half a century: In the 1970s, lion dance was one of the performance skills to be learned in traditional martial arts. , it is difficult to attract newcomers to learn the art, let alone promote the art; after the efforts of the predecessors, the dragon and lion dance got rid of the old framework and transformed into a sport, with a positive image. Compete for honors in major competitions.
In addition, in the past, the traditional lion head was modeled on the historical figure Liu Guanzhang. The colors were mainly black, red, yellow, green, etc., which made people feel serious and difficult to get close to. The performance is velvet and cute, and the performance also combines modern dance, multimedia and other elements to wash away the stereotypes of the past.
Supported by the lion's tail, the lion's head soared into the air, and opened its mouth to bite off the lettuce hanging from a high place.
(Photo by Zheng Jiahui)
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Under the epidemic, the development of the industry plunged and many dragon and lion teams withdrew their leases and disbanded
In recent years, the dragon and lion industry can be regarded as thriving. However, in the face of the social movement in mid-2019 and the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic in early 2020, the dragon and lion industry is no different from most other industries. fall".
Full-time dragon and lion masters are already a minority in the industry. They rely on commercial performances and teaching income to make a living. Except for peak seasons such as Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, annual dinners, new store openings and other festive days, there are more performances, and other days are only regular teaching. Income and 1 to 2 performance fees per month, Guo Wenlong bitterly laughed at himself that the job of a full-time dragon and lion teacher is like a "martyr", and most of the members are students or full-time jobs. Participate in dragon and lion activities.
With the outbreak of the epidemic, Hong Kong has to control the flow of people under epidemic prevention. Ninety-five percent of commercial performances in public places have not been approved for one-time licenses. Both dragon and lion teaching and competitions have dropped sharply. In the end, many teams chose to withdraw and disband because they could not make ends meet. A large number of coaches switched careers to make money to survive. There are not many dragon and lion teams who insist on operating like Guo, because they are operated by fitness centers. Those who receive government subsidies, but still have to pay their own savings and loans to pay rent and food, clenching their teeth and looking forward to the day when the epidemic subsides.
Under the influence of the epidemic, there are not many dragon and lion teams like Guo who insist on operating. They received government subsidies because they are operators of fitness centers, but they still have to pay rent and food out of their own savings. They are clenching their teeth and looking forward to the day when the epidemic subsides .
(Photo by Huang Xuerun)
Society returns to normal after the epidemic
Three years have passed since the new crown virus raged, and the anti-epidemic has finally ushered in the dawn. At the end of last year, the epidemic prevention policy was gradually relaxed. Invitations to the dragon and lion team commercial performances flew in like pieces of paper. Reappearing in front of the public, but the focus of the public is a lot of short clips of green picking mistakes, like a group member who controls a lion's head clumsily riding a horse, but rolls forward and falls. When the rope was cut and the lion's head stood on the shoulder of the lion's tail, the center of gravity was tilted backward, and the head and tail fell together.
Guo Wenlong acknowledged the loss of dragon and lion talents under the epidemic. Even if Guo maintained two to three members for training, the lion team was greatly reduced from eleven pairs to only four pairs. He lamented that some members had not practiced for a long time. It turned into a "big fat boy", and it was difficult to dance and jump as lightly as before.
Coinciding with the relaxation of the epidemic prevention policy, this year’s Spring Festival business performance invitations flooded with “revenge”. Due to the lack of training of the staff, the level will inevitably decline, and the movements will be rusty and mistakes will occur; it is also estimated that some teams may find part-time members who are not familiar with lion dance to top them; plus there are many performances during the New Year, together with the preparation work, the working hours From seven in the morning to ten in the evening, the performers are physically exhausted, and it is inevitable that there will be inaccuracies.
Regarding the successive failures of lion dance performances, Guo Wenlong hopes that the public will understand the impact of the epidemic on the industry. "All the groups can not be disbanded and can be maintained without debts. It is already amazing."
(Photo by Huang Xuerun)
I hope the public will understand that it will take three years for the dragon and lion troupe to return to the pre-epidemic level
Guo Wenlong also complained that people in the industry were not given a fair and proper evaluation. He explained that many people have misunderstood the lion dance culture because of their lack of understanding.
In fact, the merchants are responsible for hanging the vegetables, but the location, height and binding method of the hanging may not take into account whether it is suitable for the lion to move, stand, or easy to bite off. The height is fine, the lion is not a real animal, and the vegetables are hung very close to the top, but the lion's head is a big mask, which will be obstructed, (group members) can't raise their heads like animals. If you hold the lion's head and forcibly pick greens backwards, The center of gravity will be backwards, and then fall backwards, which is actually dangerous.” Therefore, more experienced team members will signal the merchants to hang up again, and come back to pick greens after the lion dances around the field, or use red scissors to cut the rope.
Regarding the failure of lion dance performances one after another, Guo Wenlong hopes that the public will understand the impact of the epidemic on the industry. "In recent years, it has been very difficult for all the dragon and lion troupes to continue to operate without disbanding and debt debt."
Since Hong Kong is a Chinese society, there is a certain demand for dragon and lion dance performances, and he believes that the government will promote the development of the industry. Guo Wenlong is confident in the recovery of the industry.
However, raising the level of skills and cultivating newcomers cannot be achieved overnight. "One minute on the stage, ten years off the stage." It will take three years, and he estimates that it will take at least three years for the industry to fully return to normal.
Kwok's lion dance troupe performed in the Central Market.
The color and shape of the innovative lion looks colorful, fluffy, and cute. It also combines multimedia and other elements for performances, such as "LED lion", which washes away the old stereotypes of traditional culture and takes on a new look.
(Photo by Lin Zhenhua)
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▼Accidents circulating on the Internet about the lion dance in the Wo Che market in Sha Tin▼
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▼It is spread on the Internet that picking greens in front of the lion dance shop will make a kowtow▼
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