According to Annuals of Cang County, records and folklore, Cang County Lion Dance goes back to the Ming Dynasty. And it is very popular all over the country since it is ardent, naughty and vivid. Some of the lions’ heads are pasted by papers, while others’ eyes are made of iron sheets. Whatever the kind is, the lion’s head is an appearance of violence. Their eyes are wide open, their mouths are big and frightening and their tongues are out of the mouth. The lion’s body is woven by the linen that is dyed red, green and yellow and fixed on a piece of yellow cloth with ropes. There is a big cloth ball that is linked with a spring on the back of the lion. So when the lion walk, the cloth ball trembles at the same time. The lion’s tail is also made of linen and upward. There are also a string of bells colored silk on the lion’s head.
Cang County Lion Dance is brilliant and has a substantial content. Most movements are imitated from that of the real tigers and lions, such as a hunger tiger catches the good, lion standing up, shaking the head three times, trundling a silk ball, getting on the high table, yawning, scratching an itch, swallowing the ball, scrambling for the ball and spitting out the ball etc.
At present, there are more than 200 Lion Dance groups among the people in Cang County. The representatives are Yinshao Mountain Lion Dance Group of Liuji Town in Huangdipu Village and Zhou Yuqin Lion Dance Group of South Xiaoying in the Zhifangtou Village. These two groups show the full explanation of Cangzhou natives’ vigorousness, boldness and the lion’s bravery.
