(Video: CGTN)
In Jieyang, a city located in south China, a heartwarming encounter took place on February 10. A young girl was practicing lion dance on her own by the roadside when she was greeted by a professional lion dance team passing by, waiting at the traffic light. Spontaneously, the lion dance team joined her performance by accompanying the girl with the rhythm of gongs and drums. This was how they greeted each other.
The young girl is Lin Xiyue, a seven-year-old second-grade student. Xiyue's passion for lion dance was ignited by her father, who has been a martial arts and lion dance enthusiast since childhood. She started to practice lion dance moves at the age of five and often performs with her father at home.
"She loves lion dance from the bottom of her heart. When she was a kid, she practiced every day with her quilt wrapped around herself," said Mr. Lin, Xiyue's father, "Later I customized the costume and lion head for her, from seven inches at the beginning to nine inches later, and the current 10 inches. I also bought her a wooden dummy. After completing her homework every day, she would practice on the wooden pile."
After practicing for more than two years, Lin Xiyue can perform a wide range of lion dance movements gracefully, such as standing, walking, running, jumping, making the lion blink and open its mouth. During festivals and holidays, she often delights her family with her lion dance performances.
Following their unexpected roadside "cooperation", Sun Shuwen, the person in charge of the lion dance team, reached out to Lin Xiyue and her father, inviting them to visit the lion dance team and study lion dance with the team. "We are very happy to see that she has been able to perform so well at such a young age. We hope to perform with her again soon," Sun said.
Lin Xiyue was also cheered by the news from the team and looks forward to showcasing her lion dance skills on an even bigger stage in the near future.
Reporter | Monica
Editor | Olivia
