CCTV documentary puts spotlight on Suixi Lion Dance

The Suixi Lion Dance, a national intangible cultural heritage item of Zhanjiang, will be featured in Local Records in China – a full-length documentary produced by China Central Television (CCTV).

A total of 23 adult lions and eight small lions, performed by teenagers from Longwan Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe and Chengyue Culture & Art School, were featured in the program after a weeklong rehearsal.

Performers and working staff pose for a group photo. [Photo/Zhanjiang Daily]

The performance was adapted by troupe head Li Zongzai from the Oath of the Peach Garden, a fictional event in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Its tells the story of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, who took an oath of fraternity in a ceremony in the Peach Garden. The oath bound the three men, who would later play important roles in the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280).

The documentary Local Records in China, which puts a special focus on diversified regional cultures across the country, believes that local cultures should be preserved amid China's rapid development and changes. Its first six episodes were aired on CCTV-1 in May 2017 and gained high ratings.

An awe-inspiring sight. [Photo/Zhanjiang Daily]

The lion dance performance is shot in the square of Renji Gate at the Suixi Confucian Temple. [Photo/Zhanjiang Daily]