Golden Northern Lions

There are two main styles of lion dancing: The Golden Northern Lion and the Southern Lion. The Northern Lion is shaggy and is usually red, orange and yellow in color. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Peking Lion' for its resemblance of a Pekinese dog. The Northern Lion Dance is less common than the other styles of lions.

Though nobody knew for sure when the Golden Lion was initially spotted, there were speculations that it was sighted during the Tang Dynasty. The dance however was believed to have originated thousands of years ago.

According to the Chinese folklore, the Golden Lion originated from Tibet. Bordering the country of Tibet are the Kun-lun Mountains in the North and the Himalayas in the South. In this land of greenery, temples headed by abbots dotted the landscape for its people are arid followers of the Lama group.

In these mountains, mysterious beasts occasionally traversed. Because of the danger they posed, these Lamas, besides having to devote their time in their religious studies, also have to learn martial arts to defend themselves. One day, an old monk found a pair of lion cubs in the Kun-Lun Mountains. The cubs being adorable and harmless, with their coats of golden fur, immediately found favor with the old monk who named them "Golden Lions".

Subsequently, the old monk raised the cubs to mature as ferocious lions. As these lions were fierce in nature, nobody dared go near them. Fortunately, upon the blessings of the gods, the lions were tamed and they became inseparable companions of the old monk.