Lion Dance for the Year of the Dragon

We got back to Hong Kong from Bali and spent the weekend ushering in the year of the dragon.

On Sunday, we ran across a lion dance at a temple in Stanley.

Lion dances are performed at all sorts of Chinese ceremonies, but are most common during Chinese New Year. The lion brings good luck and chases away evil spirits.

Shopkeepers often put out a head of lettuce for the lion to symbolically eat, promising wealth. The Chinese word for 'fortune' is homonymous with the word for 'vegetable.'

This lion was visiting Stanley's Tin Hau Temple. Tin Hau, or 'heavenly queen,' also known as Matsu, or 'mother ancestor,' is a Chinese deity believed to protect sailors and fishermen. There are Tin Hau temples in many places around the South China Sea. This one was erected by Cheung Po Tsai, an 18th century pirate who had his base in Stanley. The Cantonese name for Stanley is still 'Chek Chue,' which means 'bandit's post.'

Lion dances are accompanied by a cacophony of drums and gongs and cymbals, also meant to drive evil spirits away. It is very loud.

Lion's foot. The lion dance troupe's costumes are blessed before the dance and are said to ward off evil. Lion dance troupes were once associated with triads - Chinese mafia - but many are sponsored by local community groups these days.

We went inside to watch. You can see True peeking at the lion from the side.

The lion made his rounds in the temple.

The leader followed the lion into the temple and directed the musicians outside with hand signals. The music is synchronized with the lion's movements.

Anna bought incense to light and place before the various shrines in the temple.

The incense took a while to light.

There were a lot of people lighting incense and praying.

As in Christian churches with all their saints, I doubt many of the people visiting the temple really know who all the deities are or what they represent. What, I wonder, is meant by the monkey doing a handstand?

Anna was told to put three sticks before every shrine. But it seems everyone has their own system or superstition.

She was told to put the left over incense in the censer outside.

The place was quite fragrant. Incense, in fact, is how Hong Kong got its name. Hong Kong means 'fragrant harbor.'