Last Saturday (May 11), DotDotNews reporters traveled to Shanwei city with a simple plan: to indulge in local delicacies-beef hotpot, paper-thin pancakes, marinated raw seafood, candied fruits, and more. Yet, we stumbled upon something far more joyful than food. This is the magic of travel: you never know what awaits around the corner, what interactions will unfold, or how your perspective might shift in an instant.
We arrived in Shanwei around 10 am and headed straight to Ermalu Food Street by taxi. After grabbing a box of caiguo (steamed vegetable dumplings) for breakfast, we planned to visit a dessert shop set to open at 11:30 am, but halfway there, our meticulous schedule was derailed by an unexpected spectacle.
A group of teenagers in lion dance costumes rehearsed on the roadside, drums and gongs at the ready. Curiosity piqued, we paused to watch. Suddenly, the "lion head" performer leapt into the air, light yet powerful, landing atop the "lion tail" dancer in a split second. Their movements flowed like water, mesmerizing us. Though barely 15 years old, their energy radiated the primal force of the lion: not just its roar, but the vitality of the dancers themselves.
The lions came alive through these youths.
We followed the troupe to a storefront, where a grand opening ceremony was underway. Four lions danced to the rhythm of drums, their playful antics transforming the street. Up close, their breaths seemed real. They nipped at each other's tails, blinked mischievously, and even curled up like puppies begging for affection. But when the drums crescendoed, they erupted into airborne leaps, reclaiming their majesty as kings of the wild.
When the shop's sign - Shanlin Tea House (homophonous with "Shanwei city" and "Qilin lion"), was unveiled, the lions clutched lettuce in their mouths, blessing the business with fortune. A teenager approached me: "Could you send me the photos? No one's ever taken pictures of us before." He turned out to be the shop owner, not a dancer but a friend of the troupe.
Born in 2009, he had built the teahouse himself. Walls adorned with hand-painted murals and a handmade Qilin lion head (a local cultural symbol) revealed his mission: to preserve Shanwei's lion dance heritage. "Tea is just the start," he explained. "I want to create cultural products too."
The lion dance - its roar, its leaps - relies on those who endure sun and rain to animate it. These teenagers, often overlooked, breathe life into the tradition. Their sweat, scars, and silent dedication ensure that the Qilin lion, an intangible cultural heritage, thrives in the modern world. Through their bodies and spirits, they carry forward the soul of the lion, one leap at a time.
(Reporter: Miao Miao; English Editor: Liu Yu)
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