The Paper's reporter Wang Yu reported comprehensively
Every Lunar New Year, Malaysian lion dance teams perform in residents' homes and commercial buildings. Lion dance performances were restricted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year the situation has improved and Malaysian lion dancers are back active.
According to Malaysia's Borneo Post, on January 24, local time, the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee of Malaysia issued a statement pointing out that the newly revised standard operating procedures for the 2022 Lunar New Year have allowed lion dance performances in 2022.
Kuala Lumpur Lion Dance celebrates The Chinese New Year. Visual China figure
It is reported that the lion dance is allowed to take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on February 1-4, 2022, and from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on February 15, 2022.
Lion Dance members must have received two doses of covid-19 vaccination and booster injections, and need to undergo a self-test for covid-19 before going out to perform every day. Persons with a status of "close contact with confirmed contacts", "suspected contacts" or "suspected infections" cannot participate in lion dance group activities.
In addition, the lion dance troupe can not exceed 12 people, and only two lion dances can be dispatched at the same time. Lion dances are only available outdoors in homes, temples and commercial establishments, not indoors. Homeowners, operators and event planners must apply for a lion dance performance, and the schedule of the lion dance performance must be submitted to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee of each province for notification.
At the same time, homeowners, operators and event planners must have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters. After the lion dance, homeowners, operators and event planners are required to disinfect and comply with standard operating procedures.
In addition, on January 19, Malaysia's Minister of Unity Halima also announced that during the Lunar New Year, an unlimited number of relatives are allowed to hold dinners; people are allowed to pay respects to each other under the condition of observing epidemic prevention regulations; people are allowed to hold "worshiping the heavens" ceremony with their families on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year with their families; Chinese are allowed to go to the palace temples and other places to pray during the Lunar New Year.
Malaysia's lion dance originated from the Southern Lion in China's Guangdong Province, which came more than a century ago with Chinese immigrants who crossed the sea.
In the 1970s, with the increase in the number of Chinese immigrants, the lion dance culture was vigorously promoted and began to flourish in Malaysia, especially when shops opened and housewarming, lion dance troupes were often invited to perform, and people believed that lion dances could bring good luck and wealth. Later, the arrival of more Chinese master lion dance masters also trained many young local enthusiasts.
In Malaysia, the lion dance has evolved from a Chinese cultural and artistic form to an acrobatic sport in which people of all races and cultures participate, and the annual Lion Awakening (Southern Lion) Competition is held every year, the most famous of which is the biennial Genting World Lion King Championship.
In 2007, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Malaysia announced that the indigenously created lion dance would be included in the list of "Important Cultural Relics (Including Historical Buildings, National Symbols and Culture)" of the National Heritage Heritage.
Malaysian lion dance culture comes from China and is quite popular in the local area. The High Pile Lion Dance is included in the list of "Important Cultural Relics" of Malaysia's National Heritage Heritage. Visual China figure
However, due to the impact of the global covid-19 pandemic, the national economy has been frustrated, and people's spending on traditional dances has also decreased, and the Lion Awakening Troupe in Malaysia is facing difficulties and challenges.
Datuk Wong Po Sang, chairman of the Ipoh China Jingwu Sports Association, said in an interview with local media that a lion dance performance cost about RM800, but the operating costs of the lion group increased by 20% to 30% compared with before the pandemic. For example, the number of trucks transported by the epidemic is limited by epidemic prevention requirements, which means that they need to bear more money on transportation, and also spend money on nucleic acid testing. In addition, customers will also worry that if they accidentally violate the physical distance specified in the epidemic prevention requirements, they will bear the risk of fines.
Wong also acknowledged that recruiting young people is also a challenge, especially malaysians from other ethnicities.
"Not a lot of young people like traditional events like lion dances. We have non-Chinese apprentices, but they can't sustain interest. For young people, a stable income, regular training and the difficulty of the stunts involved are all challenges. ”
Therefore, he believes that exposing children to lion dances and cultivating interest from an early age is the key to promoting lion dances, and this problem can only be solved through the joint efforts of the government and the community.
Due to the impact of the epidemic, various festive parades and group performances during the Spring Festival in Malaysia last year were cancelled. Visual China figure
On Friday, divers also performed an "underwater lion dance" at an aquarium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to celebrate the Lunar New Year, AFP reported.
Two crew members dressed in colorful lion suits performed in the water tank, the band beat gongs and drums outside, and turtles and colorful fish slid past the lions. There is also a staff member dressed as the "god of wealth", holding a gold dollar treasure in his arms and paying homage to tourists.
On January 21, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Aquaria underwater lion dance celebrated the Chinese New Year. Visual China figure
Daryl Feng, executive director of the aquarium, told reporters that in traditional Chinese culture, lion dances can drive away evil spirits and bring good luck. In order to complete this tricky task, divers need to undergo special training.
"The underwater lion dance [inside the aquarium] is unique." Lille Von added.
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