CRI听力:Chinese Lion Dance Tradition Roaring in Malaysia

For decades, local martial arts schools in Malaysia have presented the lion dance and used their acrobatic kicks and jumps to ring in the New Year.

However, before these spectacular shows are presented, a lot of unseen efforts have been made.

A major component of the lion dance involves making the intricately crafted head and tail of the lion costume.

Siow Ho Phiew is a master craftsman of lion heads, with over three decades of experience in this art.

"At the start I only made lion heads for my own team/troupe, then afterwards friends & other troupes started asking if I could make one for them. I said ok i'll try, after two or three I realized I can open a workshop & here I am making a made in Malaysia lion head."

The process of a well-crafted lion head consists of 3 basic steps including making the frame, covering it with paper mache, and then adding colour to define the personality of the lion.

Despite this complicated work, the 61-year-old master believes that the tradition of making lion heads and performing the lion dance will continue.

"This lion dance is a culture. This art is not new, it dates back thousands of years. It's been around for those thousands of years & still there's many more to go. I think that if it's a good/beautiful art form there will be those who will continue it on. We're not worried."

The lion dance is usually performed to get rid of evil spirits and garner good luck.

Some of the auspicious rituals in the lion dance include touching the lion's head for good luck, and giving red packets to the troupe.

Chinese New Year - the Year of the Monkey - starts on Monday the 8th.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.