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TitleThe Cantonese lion head: the process of making a lionhead in GuangzhouAuthor(s) Mo, Cuiyu.; t\.CitationIssue Date 2013URL http://hdl.handle.net/10722/192802RightsThe author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patentrights) and the right to use in future works. The Cantonese Lion Head: The Process of Making a Lion Head in Guangzhou by Mo Cuiyu Student no.: 2010993437 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Conservation at the University of Hong Kong J uly 2013 i Abstract TheliondanceisatraditionalformofChineseculturewiththousandsofyearsof history.Fromthehistoricalrecord,theliondancetraditionwasstartedintheHan Dynasty.Similartothedragondance,theliondanceisaspiritualactivity.Itisa symbolthatbringsgoodfortunetopeople.Nowadays,thetraditionispracticedin China,particularlyinGuangdongProvince(),FujianProvince()and spread by the Cantonese, together with good fortune, to Asia, the United States and Canada,andeventoMexicoandEurope.WhereverthereareChinese,people perform the lion dance to express joy and happiness. However, after years and events, with such a rapid development, the crafts industry of making lion heads is facing a variety of challenges in China. This dissertation aims to documentthecrafts,especiallytheSouthernlionheadinGuangzhou().With particularfocusonthecraftworkofMr.ZhongJ iachao(),theInheritorof IntangibleCulturalHeritageawardedbyGuangdongProvinceGovernmentforhis work on lion heads, is famous with his craftwork of building lion heads in Guangzhou and overseas. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide the technical background for the future conservationofthetraditionviathedocumentationandanalysisoftheheritage significance of making the lion heads. As a cultural tradition, the craftsmanship of the makingoflionheadsisanintangibleheritagetoexpresstangibleandintangible socio-historical value within Chinese communities. It aims to conserve the crafts, and to revive and rejuvenate such folk art via the investigation on the lion dance and lion heads. ii Declaration Ideclarethatthisdissertationrepresentsmyownwork,exceptwheredue acknowledgement is made, and that it has not been previously included in a thesis, dissertationorreportsubmittedtothisUniversityortoanyotherinstitutionfora degree,diplomaorotherqualification.Allillustrations(maps,drawingsand photographs) reproduced in this dissertation, except where due acknowledgement is made, are the original work of the author. Signed ____________________________________________ Mo Cuiyu iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to the following people who have kindly given me support and good towards completing this dissertation. Firstly, I am extremely grateful tomysupervisorDr.HoyinLeeforhisinvaluableinsights,patienceandsupport provided in the course of completing this dissertation, a feat which would not have been possible without his kind guidance. Additionally, I am thankful for the enormous efforts of the following professionals. Prof. TangGuohuainspiredmetoexploreheritageconservationinthefieldofurban planning in Guangzhou. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Lynne DiStefano, Mr. Ken Nicolson and Ms. Katie Cummer whose made conscientious as well as very useful contributions to the preparation of this dissertation. And, of course, Mr. Zhong J iachao () who has generously given me so much of his valuable and shared hi vast knowledge on the making lion heads and the background of the lion dance during his interviews. Furthermore,thankstomypeerswhohavehelpedthroughoutthethreeyears postgraduate study at the University of Hong Kong. Also,thankstomylovelyfriends,especially,Ms. MaiaYingyaLeiandMr.Michael West. I have received their full support and love for my further study in Hong Kong, and the completion of this dissertation. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to my family for their love and endless encouragementthroughoutthesethreeyears.Particularly,mybelovedmothers infiniteinspirationandfinancialsupporthasprovidedacarefreemilieuformeto continue my studies in Hong Kong. iv Table of Contents Preliminaries Abstracti Declarationii Acknowledgmentsiii Table of Contentsiv Chapter 1 Introduction: The Dissertation Framework 1 1.1 Introduction1 1.2 Research Focus and Scope2 1.3 Research Issue2 1.4 Literature Review and Research Gap3 1.5 Goal and Objectives5 1.6 Methodology5 Chapter 2 Historical Background of the Lion Dance 7 2.1 Historical Background of the Lion Dance7 2.2 Development of the Lion Dance in China8 Chapter 3 The Lion Head Tradition in Guangzhou 13 3.1 Variations of the Chinese Lions13 3.2 The Northern Chinese Lion15 3.3 The Southern Chinese Lion17 3.4 The Cantonese Lion18 3.5 The Cantonese Lion Head20 v Chapter 4 The Process of Making a Lion Head 28 4.1 The Context: Daxin Road (), Guangzhou28 4.2 The Master: Mr. Zhong J iachao ()33 4.3 Pre-fabrication Preparations: Materials and Manpower34 4.4 The Process, Stage 1: Framing36 4.5 The Process, Stage 2: Papering42 4.6 The Process, Stage 3: Painting44 4.7 The Process, Stage 4: Adorning46 4.8 Post-fabrication: Storage and Sales49 4.9 Concluding Remarks50 Chapter 5 Conclusion: Understanding the Heritage of the Cantonese Lion Head 51 5.1 The Lion Head as a Heritage51 5.2 Threats against the Sustainability of the Heritage53 5.3 Opportunities of the Sustainability of the Heritage55 5.4 Concluding Remarks58 Bibliography59 1 Chapter 1: Introduction: The Dissertation Framework 1.1 Introduction ThisdissertationaimstofocusonthetraditionalChineseculture:themaking processesofthelionheads.Beforeadocumentofmakingthelionheadcanbe undertaken,ageneralunderstandingofliondanceshistoryisneeded.Througha generalreviewofthehistoryandevolvementofliondanceinChina,abetter understanding of lion dances significance and influence both in China and overseas is acquired. For the background information of lion heads in China, with the combined benefit of the documentation and the photos, that can be reference and understand the evolution and main categories of lion heads in both textual and visual ways. And then, moving the angle to look at the southern lion heads, which including historical background,featuresandtheselectedstudyareaDaxinRoad( ), Guangzhou. Additionally, with that knowledge, the detailed documentation of making process in the field of lion heads is highlighted through interviews of Master Zhong, and that can be betterunderstood.Thecraftsconveytheembodimentofhumanwisdomand craftsmanship, and reflect the tangible and intangible features of making lion heads. They are the ambiance of study area, the spirit and culture, and the sense of place and collective attachment. All of these elements illustrate the cultural significance of lion heads. At the same time, lion heads are playing a vital component of the culture of lion dance. In addition to this, the analysis of innovation and challenges make up an in-depth understanding of making lion heads as an intangible cultural heritage. 2 1.2 Research Focus and Scope This dissertation focuses on the tradition of the making process of the lion heads. The scope covers the history, tradition, and evolution of the craft of making Chinese lion heads used in the dance, with particular focus on the tradition in Guangzhou, based on a case study. 1.3 Research Issue The lion dance is a tradition of Chinese culture with thousand years of history. From the historical record, the lion dance tradition was started from Han () Dynasty (206 BC 220 AD). Similar to dragon dance, the lion dance is a spiritual activity. It is a symbol that brings good fortune to people. The lion dance plays an essential role in important occasions and festivals, e.g. the consecration of temples and other building, businessopenings,plantingandharvesttimes,officialcelebrations,andreligious rites,. Generally, the tradition is practiced in the Guangdong Province (), south of Fujian Province () and spread by the Cantonese people, to Asia, the United States and Canada, and even to Mexico and Europe. Wherever there are Chinese people, people perform the lion dance to express joy and happiness. InGuangzhou(),theliondanceispopularwithpeople,whichcouldbedated backtothelateMing()Dynasty(1368-1644A.D.).TheGuangzhouLionDance belongs to the Southern style Chinese Southern Lion, which is characterized by a single horn on the head (the Northern Lion is hornless). Meanwhile, the craftwork the making of lion heads was awarded the Province-level Intangible Heritage award in 2009. 3 Guangzhou is particularly important for the southern lion-dance tradition, as it is also where one finds the craft of making the southern-style lion head. In fact, until the end of the 20th century, many of such lion-head making shops could be found on a single streetinGuangzhouDaxinRoad().Thisistheplaceknownasthe concentration area of the lion-head craft in Southern China. The road is also famous for other craftworks, such as costumes of Cantonese Opera, jade carving, and ivory carving.Notably,Mr.ZhongJ iachao(),whohasbeenconferredthetitle InheritorofIntangibleCulturalHeritageontheCraftofLion-headMakingbythe Guangdong Provincial Government, is locally and internationally famous for his craft of making lion heads. As a cultural tradition, which still actively performed in China and in otherChinese communities in foreign countries, the craftsmanship of the making of lion heads is an intangibleheritagetoexpresstangibleandintangiblesocio-historicalvaluewithin Chinesecommunities.Thisdissertationaimstoemphasisthecontinuationand development of such folk art via the investigation on the lion dance and lion heads. 1.4 Literature Review and Research Gap ManyChinesethesisanddissertationsfocusonthegenesis,historicalcultureand development,socialvalue,protectionandpromotionsuchasthedissertation Research on Historical Culture and Development Status of the Southern Lion Dance (2007) and A Study on Inheritance and Development of South Lion-dancing (2012), as well as the paper The Origin and Development of Chinese Lion Dancing (2008), Discussion on the Protection and Spread of the Lion Dance Culture Inheritance in SouthChina(2008),.Mostdescribethehistoryandbackgroundofliondancein China, and take the lion dance as traditional activity and sport, however, all of them are written in Chinese. 4 In some web pages, there are associations or alliances for lion dance, for example the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, the Lion Arts, and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. They illustrated the general making processes of the lion heads in differentstylesandprovidedabasictechnicalsnapshotofthebuildingofthelion heads as references for this dissertation. After a careful literature review, besides the above publications, there are a few other writingsonthetopic.Accordingly,thefollowingresearchgapisrevealedbythis literature review: 1.Theextentofpublishedresearchonthehistorical,socialandeconomic background, its development and different values of the tradition in English; 2.Thepaucityofdocumentsontheintricatecraftofthistradition.Present documentaries recording making processes need to be expanded to cover wider range, such as materials, paint and customs. The author would like to expand the research base as mentioned above, and focus on the making processes with a detailed record of Mr. Zhongs lion head. It is intended to stimulate further research on this topic. 5 1.5 Goal and Objectives After consideration of the research gap, this dissertation will focus on recording the making procedure of lion heads with the goal and objectives as below. (1) Goal -To emphasise the continuation and development of the intangible heritage lion dance tradition in Guangzhou. (2) Objectives -To understand the lion dance tradition in Guangzhou; -To document the making processes of lion head; -To appreciate the significance of lion head craftwork and the lion dance tradition; and -To provide the technical background for the future conservation of the tradition via thedocumentationandanalysisoftheheritagesignificanceofmakingthelion heads. 1.6 Methodology Forbetterunderstandingofliondanceandlionheads,theauthorraisesafew research questions to be answered in this dissertation. (1) Research Questions -What is the history of the tradition? -What is the development of the tradition in Guangzhou? -How to make the Southern lion heads? -What are the tangible and intangible elements of the traditional craftsmanship? 6 -What are the current challenges facing the craftsmanship and the tradition? In order to address the research questions above, this dissertation has been broken down into the following three stages: Stage 1: Research and data collection Forthebackgroundofthetopicandstudyarea,theinformationiscollectedfrom publications, books and journals, and desktop research via internet publications and e-resources. Stage 2: Interviews and site survey Interviews were conducted with the relevant craftsmen, academics and professionals. And a survey of the study area, Daxin Road (), for mapping the locations of the craftsmanship was made. In this dissertation, interviews are very important to gather the information about how the lion heads built. Stage 3: Document and Analysis Together with the above information, a documentary of the craftwork, and the analysis of its tangible and intangible elements and values aim to better appreciate the tradition, and continue the development of such a folk art in Guangzhou. 7 Chapter 2: Historical Background of the Lion Dance 2.1 Historical Background of the Lion Dance Beforeadocumentofmakingthelionheadcanbeundertaken,ageneral understandingofliondanceshistoryisneeded.Thischapterwillhighlightthe historical background of lion dance. In fact, lions have never been endemic to China. Through the spreading of Buddhism, the image of the lion came to China from India. According to historical records, lion dance began during the Han () Dynasty (206 BC 220 AD),1when traders from India and the Middle East came to China to trade via the Silk Road.2These traders discovered that there was no lion in China, and they brought along Indian lions as tributes for the Chinese emperor. They also brought along their lion trainers to perform lion shows at the royal court, which is probably the basis of the Chinese lion dance.3 AccordingtoasthemusicalscoreTaiPingYue(,MusicofPeace,the musical score for lion dance) in the annals of the Tang dynasty (618 907 AD) J iu Tang Shu (, The Book of the Old Tang Dynasty),4There are five regions of the lion dance. The lion dance was performed with people covered with lion-like furry outfits. Two other performers using the rope and ribbon frolicked around the lion that stands at their respective places5 1Chinese Historical and Cultural Project. Chinese Lion. J une 2011. . Meanwhile, according to other historical writings, during), lion dance has existed as far back as the Zhou () Dynasty (1046 256 BC). URL: http://www.chcp.org/lion.html(accessed 20 November 2012). 2562008 32011 42007 52007 8 According to above, the lion dance had been in China before Tang () Dynasty (618 907 AD). The costume wore by the lion dance were more like the northern lion of today. From the book of ancient record6, lion was from India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). ThestatusoflioninBuddhismwasliketheholyguardofthereligion.Withthe spreading of Buddhism into China, about the time of dynasties of Qin (, 211 BC 206 BC), Han (, 206 BC 220 AD), and Wei (, 386 535 AD), the lion dance flourished.InChina,thereareelementsofBuddhism,Taoism,andConfucianism which make lion dance appear mysterious. The lion dance became a spiritual rite to be performed during important occasions and festivals. From the dynasties of Tang (, 618 907 AD), Song (, 960 1279 AD), Yuan (, 1271 1386 AD), Ming (, 1368 1644 AD) and Qing (, 1644 1912 AD), and from the kingdom palace to the masses,farmingsocietiesanddeitiesfestivals,theliondancewasoneofthe programhighlightstheorganizersmustnotgowithout.Thetransformationoflion dance went along with changes of time and dynasties in China. From north to south, in various part of China, it was believed that during the time of Wei Wu Di (), the lion dance started to spread to people mostly in the northern region of Yangzi River () from the place.7 2.2 Development of the Lion Dance in China Withseveralthousandyearsofhistory,theliondanceisaculturaltraditionanda spiritual activity in China and other Chinese communities in foreign countries. Similar to the dragon dance, it is also a symbolic ceremony performed on important occasions andduringfestivalssuchastheconsecrationoftemplesandotherbuilding,at 6The Lion Arts. The History. 2008. URL: http://thelionarts.com/index.html (accessed 01 December 2012). 72007 9 businessopenings,plantingandharvesttimes,officialcelebrations,andreligious rites,. Furthermore, during Chinese New Year, it is the most popular period to perform theliondanceinordertobringgoodluck.Theliondanceplaysanessentialrole during those kinds of occasions, and is believe to bring good fortunate to people. (1) Wei (, 386 535 AD) and Jin (, 265 420 AD) Dynasty The lion dance was created during the days of the Han () Dynasty (206 BC 24 AD). It was only allowed to perform in imperial festival in imperial palaces within the Han Dynasty. By the Wei () and J in () dynasties, due to the prevalence of Buddhism in China, there was hundreds of Buddha temples built in different regions in Luoyang (). As a custom at that time, they would like to organize various temple fairs, at the sametime,theliondanceoftenprovidedspectacularperformancesduringtemple fairs.Fromthenon,peoplehadmoreandmorechancestowatchliondancein community activities. (2) Tang (, 618 907 AD) and Song (, 960 1279 AD) Dynasty The Tang () Dynasty was a flourishing period for development of the lion dance. From many documents it can be seen, as mentioned before, that the J iu Tang Shu ()8musicsays,Thereare5regionsoftheliondance.Theliondancewas performed with people covered with lion-liked furry outfits. Two other performers using the rope and ribbon played around the lion that stands at their respective places. As well as the famous poet Bai J uyi () wrote a poem to describe the activities of lion dance at that time.9 82007 Besides, during Song () Dynasty, the famous painting Bai Zi Xi Chun Tu () (Fig. 2-1a & 2-1b) shows that the lion dance was popular withtheroyalfamilyandtopcommissioners.Theywentnotonlytowatchthelion dance, but also to have fun. It became a status symbol for social class in the Song () 92007 10 Dynasty. Fig. 2-1a Bai Zi Xi Chun Tu () (Source: www.epochtimes.com) Fig. 2-1b Enlarged line drawing of the lower left of the above picture, showing children doing the lion dance. (Source: www.his8.cn, modified by Charlene Mo) 11 (3) Ming (, 1368 1644 AD) and Qing (, 1644 1912 AD) Dynasty By the Ming and Qing Dynasty, it was so common that most Chinese people could performandwatchliondance.Anditwasusedforthepurposesofentertaining distinguished guests, official functions, festival celebrations, and religious rituals. As customs continue, lion dance still has the same functions and meanings today. (4) Contemporary Era After dynasties of refining, processing and transformation, the lion dance has become a fusion entertainment and a national activity and sport. Spreading all over China and throughout the overseas Chinese communities, the lion dance not only enriched the culturalandthespirituallifeofpeople,italsobecameafolkartwithChinese characteristics and spirits. And nowadays, conceived of as a folk art with Chinese characteristics and spirits, the lion dance is also a symbolic feature for conveying intangible heritage in China. With such meanings and values, the lion dancestill is a very popular activity for variety eventsandoccasions,especiallythegovernmentandcommunitiespaymore attentiontoitasanintangibleheritage,traditionalcultureandcraftwork,and emphasise how to conserve and inherit them. (4) In Guangdong The lion dance has been in Guangdong Province since the late Ming () Dynasty (13681644AD).10 1012 March 2013 Guangdongpeoplethoughtthattheimageoflionisintrepid, spiritual and deific, thus, they came up with an idea to perform the lion dance in order toscareawaythemonster,byplayingdrums,gongs,cymbalsandlettingoff URL: http://www.gdsqyg.com/wzwh/show.php?itemid=472 (accessed 11 April 2013) 12 firecrackers11. Since then, the lion head became a mascot against evil spirits, thus incorporating religion. Therefore, it is an important, traditional and jolly activity during festival,occasions,businessopeningsetc.Furthermore,itiswell-knownthatlion dance has a strong connection with Kung Fu. During the period of post Ming Dynasty and pre Qing () Dynasty, the Cantonese lion motivated and influenced the spirits of nationalism of Chinese people, due to various revolutionary and resistant actions aimed at restoring the Ming Dynasty. From then on, the lion dance spread to vast area of Guangdong Province.12 11Chan, Wing. South Lion: the Guangzhou Lion Dance . Life of Guangzhou. 01 November 2011. URL: http://www.lifeofguangzhou.com/node_981/node_989/node_993/node_1025/2010/11/01/128860031281755.shtml(accessed 08 April 2013) 12The Lion Arts. The History. 2008. URL: http://thelionarts.com/history.html (accessed 08 April 2013) 13 Chapter 3: The Lion Head Tradition in Guangzhou 3.1 Variations of the Chinese Lions Themainpropsforexecutingaliondancearethelionheadandlionrobe (representing the lion body), as figures 3-1 and figure 3-2 illustrate. This dissertation willfocusonlyonthelionhead.Thecraftofmakinglionheadsisanimportant heritage, so much so that it was listed as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.13 Thesignificanceofthecraftasheritageisfurtherdemonstratedinthe recognition of the master makers of the lion head as Inheritors of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In Guangdong Province, several masters are honoured with such a title. With a thousand-year of development across the geography of China, it is natural that the styles of the props used in the lion dance will have many variations because of climaticandculturaldifferencesindifferentregionsofChina.Today,theChinese dancing lion can be broadly divided into two regional types the Northern and the Southern lions, with the former often described as resembling a dog and the latter a cat.14 The Northern lion is also commonly referred to as the Peking or Beijing Lion (,) (Fig. 3-3), while the Southern lion is also referred to as the Cantonese Lion () (Fig. 3-4). Interestingly,Taiwanslionsdonotseemtofitintothisnorthernandsouthern variationstheyseemtobeinfluencedbythelionsofJ apan(thisneedsmore researchtoverify,whichisoutsidethescopeofthepresentdissertation),andare divided into two types: the close-mouth () (Fig. 3-5) and the open-mouth ( 13National List. National Intangible Heritage List. 2008. URL: http://www.ihchina.cn/inc/guohiamingluer.jsp (accessed 11 April 2013) 142009 14 ) (Fig. 3-6) lion. Another unique feature of the Taiwanese lions is that they are not only used for performance, and also put on display in temples and ancestral halls as talismanic sacred objects. In addition, unlike the Northern and Southern lions which are always made of lightweight bamboo and paper, some of the Taiwanese lions are made of cement and mortar (these are for display and not for performance). Fig. 3-1 (Left) The Southern lion, which is often said to resemble a cat. (Source: www.actaonline.org/blog/43, modified by Charlene Mo) Fig. 3-2 (Right) The Northern lion, which is often said to resemble a dog. (Source: culturalinfusion.org.au, modified by Charlene Mo) 15 Fig. 3-3 (Left) The Northern Lion (Source: big5.citygf.com) Fig. 3-4 (Right) The Southern Lion (Source: navalants.blogspot.hk) Fig. 3-5 (Left) Closed mouth Lion (Source: www.nthcc.gov.tw) Fig. 3-6 (Right) Open mouth Lion (Source: www.nthcc.gov.tw) 3.2 The Northern Chinese Lion In northern China, the outlooks of lion heads are similar, thus, they are classified as the same style, called Northern Lion Head. The Northern Lion looks pretty much like a Peking dog, with its whole body covered with long fur. The Northern Lion will normally 16 perform in pairs with another person holding a ball for the pair of lion to chase after. Sometimes, to make things more exciting, two lion kids will join in to perform together with the two adult Lions. The pair of adult Northern Lions is made up of a female and a male. Initially their genders were differentiated by the color of the ribbon that is tied on the lions head. The female Northern Lion has a green colored ribbon tied on, while the male has a red colored ribbon. But currently, the gender of the northern lion can also be differentiated by the color of its fur on its head and its back, i.e. green for a female and red for a male (Fig. 3-7).15 The Northern Lion Dance projects a very active, happy, and playful movement. In their performance,theywilljoyouslyandactivelychaseaftertheball,byleapingover tables,chairs,spinningthemselvesin360degreesstuntandrollingoveroneand another. If you happen to bounce into these Lions, make sure that you make it a point to see them in their performance. Fig. 3-7 The female and the male of the Northern Lion (Source: thelionarts.com) 15The Lion Arts. The History. 2008. URL: http://thelionarts.com/index.html (accessed 01 December 2012). 17 3.3 The Southern Chinese Lion The southern lion head (Fig. 3-8), sometimes referred to as the Cantonese lion head, is the more popular lion in Southern China, particularly in Guangdong Province (), Hainan Province () and Taiwan. Meanwhile, because most of the Chinese that emigrated from China were from Guangdong Province, the southern lion heads thataremostseenaroundtheworld.Theimagesofsouthernlionheadsare according to the characters of the main roles from The Romance of Three Kingdoms (), so that to make and paint types of facial make-up. In addition to this, the delicate decorations, for example, nose ball, forehead mirror and decorative belt, and tonsofrabbitfurandhorsehair,allofthemillustrateitsgorgeousanddazzling significance. Fig. 3-8 The Southern Lion Head (Source: www.chinahistoryforum.com) 18 3.4 The Cantonese Lion In 2006, the Southern Lion Dance was listed as Chinas National Intangible Cultural Heritage,16and in 2008, the craft of making the Southern lion head was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.17There is some confusion between the lion dance (and associated lion head) of the Southern style and that of the Cantonese style.Somereferences18usethetwotermsinterchangeably,implyingthatthe Southern lion dance is also the Cantonese lion dance. However, since the Southern lion dance extends beyond the Cantonese-speaking region of Guangdong (), and include Guangxi (), Hainan (), Hong Kong, Fujian (), Macau and Taiwan,19 therefore the Southern lion dance cannot be an exclusively Cantonese art form. In the authors opinion, the performance of the lion dance and the making of thelionheadhavebeensodominatedbytheCantoneseinGuangzhou(), Foshan () and Hong Kong that the art is generally considered to be Cantonese. IntheGuangdongprovince,theSouthernlionsarecorrectlycalledtheCantonese lions. And the lion dance is called Shing Lion (), which means awakened lion. In the early time, it was called Rui Lion () meaning auspicious lion, however, in Cantonese pronunciation, Rui () sounds like Shui () meaning sleeping, which is not a favourable expression of lions. From then on, Cantonese use Shing Lion insteadofRuiLion,meanwhile,ShingLionreferstotheSouthernliondance, named Cantonese Shing lion ()20 as well. Afterwitnessingmanyyearsofevolution,fromgenerationtogeneration,thelion dance is still popular with Cantonese people until now, as in various traditional and 16National List. National Intangible Heritage List. 2008. URL: http://www.ihchina.cn/inc/guojiaminglufenlei.jsp?qmode=place&pm=020 (accessed 11 April 2013) 17National List. National Intangible Heritage List. 2008. URL: http://www.ihchina.cn/inc/guohiamingluer.jsp (accessed 11 April 2013) 182011 192622011 20The Lion Arts. The History. 2008. URL: http://thelionarts.com/history.html (accessed 08 April 2013) 19 religious activities, as well as modern occasions. Since the revival of tangible and intangible heritage in this decade, the government and communities concern more about traditional culture than before, or we can say it isunprecedented.Nonetheless,someoftheintangibleheritagesaretoolateto conserve, due to brain drain, lack of young talent and financial support, etc. For the southernliondance,itisalsofacingthoseproblems;fortunately,itisstillpopular amongpublicandteenagersinGuangzhou().AccordingtotheCentreof IntangibleHeritage,GuangdongProvince,21 therearemorethantwohundred professionalandactiveteamsperformingliondanceinGuangzhou.Furthermore, since being National Intangible Cultural Heritage, more and more youngsters would like to learn and perform the southern lion dance. Moreover, after years of evolvement and development, the southern lion dance no longer only represents traditional culture and religious activities; it also stands for a national sport. There are different levels of competitions for lion dance in China, especially in Guangzhou (). Consequentially, the craftwork of making of lion heads is respected and paid more concernbythegovernmentandpublic.Themarketingdemandisthemostdirect factortothesurvivalofthecraftsmanshipandthebusinessofworkshops.In accordancewiththepopularliondance,thecraftsmanshipisreceivingalotof attention.Eventhepublicmediawouldliketobroadcastandpromotethe craftsmanship. It is obvious that the public are embracing the lion dance and the crafts of lion heads with their favour and respect, since the restoration and declaration of being National Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is hoped that it will be possible to conserve and sustain this trend for further generations. 2111 J une 2011. URL: http://www.chinanews.com/cul/2011/06-11/3104995.shtml (accessed 12 April 2013) 20 3.5 The Cantonese Lion Head (1) General Features WithregardtothefiguresoftheCantoneselionhead,besidesthecommon characteristics heavy eyebrows, bulging eyes, big nose and big mouth, the single horn is the most significant identity, which is unique to others.22 In addition, with the three dimensional shape, its brightly coloured and dazzling figure shows the southern lionheadstheotheridentityfacialmakeupthatrelatestothefiguresofThe RomanceofThreeKingdoms()andCantoneseOpera.Thegaudyand delicate decorations of lion heads represent its gorgeous shape. This is illustrated by figure 3-9 which shows the different components of the southern lion head. Fig. 3-9 Names of different components of the southern lion head (Source: http://www.actaonline.org/blog/43, modified by Charlene Mo) 222009 21 (2) Styles by Shape Cantonese lion heads can be distinguished based on the shape and colour. In terms of shape, the lion heads can be further divided into the Foshan lion (, named after the city of Foshan, famous for being the birthplace of several legendary kung fu masters) (Fig. 3-10) and the Heshan lion (, named after the county of Heshan) (Fig.3-11).Theselionsaresonamedbecausethemasterwhocreatedthestyles respectively came from Foshan () and Heshan (). There are other stylistic types of lions from other provinces, but those two Cantonese lion styles are the most famous. Fig. 3-10 (Left) The Fut San Lion (Source: http://www.actaonline.org/blog/43) Fig. 3-11 (Right) The Hok San Lion (Source: thelionarts.com) TheFoshanlionheadwasthefirsttobecreatedinsouthChina.23 23The Lion Arts.Difference in Lion Dance. 2008. Withahigh forehead, curved lips and a very sharp horn, its dance movements are quite rough and its dancing routine involved big, sweeping motions. As for the Heshan lion head, it URL: http://thelionarts.com/index.html (accessed 01 December 2012) 22 was created by Master Feng Gengchang () in the Qing Dynasty24 , much later than the Foshan lion head. Regarding to its lower forehead, rounded horn and duck beakmouthwithflatlips,itcalledtheDuckBeakLionaswell.Notably,thevital difference of Foshan lion head and Heshan lion head is the size of D as figure 3-12 illustrates.Toouruntutoredexperience,theHokSanlionheadhasamuchmore rounded body, the Fut San lion head has an angular face, relatively speaking. In time, people became more and more creative and they combined certain styles of artsandcraftsofHeshanliondanceandFoshanliondancetogethertoformthe hybrid Fo-He () style. This was created by Singaporeans25 . Fig. 3-12 The difference in the two types of lion heads (Source: www.wansenghang.com) 242011 25The Lion Arts. Difference in Lion Dance. 2008. URL: http://thelionarts.com/index.html (accessed 01 December 2012) 23 (3) Styles by Colour AccordingtoaninterviewwithMasterZhongJ iachao(),typesofthe Cantonese lion head can be distinguished by colour the colours of painted faces in Peking opera, representing six famous historical figures, a king and five generals (Fig. 3-13) depicted in Ming-dynasty classic literature The Romance of Three Kingdoms ():KingLiuBei(),GeneralGuanYu(),GeneralZhangFei(), General Zhao Yun (), General Huang Zhong (), and General Ma Chao (). TheLiuBei()lionheadisconsideredastheemperorandtheoldestone, because of its gold or yellow face with white fur and beard. It is well known that Liu Bei is the oldest brother among the others Guan Gong and Zhang Fei, and he is the first emperoroftheShu-HanKingdom.Itrepresentsauspiciousness,normallyusedby senior or master levels. The Guan Yu () lion head, with the red based face, black fur and long black beard, it is considered as the awaken lion, and it is used by most, in general, especially in the business occasions aiming to raise volume of trade and bring in wealth. The Zhang Fei () lion head is a black one. Besides the black face, it has black fur, short black beard and small ears. Owing to Zhang Feis personality irascibility and scrappy, this lion represents the fighting lion, and it is used by clubs generally. The Zhao Yun () lion head has the green based face, white fur and beard and an iron horn. It is known as the heroic lion, due to Zhao Yun is an outstanding general, who won a lot of battles in the history. The Huang Zhong () lion head represents righteous, with the yellow based face and white fur and beard, thus, it is known as the righteous lion. 24 The Ma Chao () lion head has the silver based face and white fur and beard. It is also called the funeral lion head, which represents inauspicious. This lion head is only used for a funeral with a sad rhythm, and it must be burned immediately afterwards. It is famous that Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao and Huang Zhong are the Five Tiger Generals (), meanwhile, each of them are demonstrating one of the colours of the five elements yellow: earth, black: water, green: wood, red: fire, and white: metal.26 Furthermore, for reference, we can judge the age levels of the colours of lion fur. With the white coloured fur, it is considered as the oldest or senior lion. With the gold or yellow fur, it represents the medium age, which is not the youngest or the oldest. And the black coloured fur represents the youngest one. 26Choy Lee Fut. Lion Dance. 27 September 2012 URL: http://choyleefutmartialart.blogspot.com/p/lion-dance.html (accessed 01 May 2013) 25 Name and Identities of Lion Heads Illustrations In regard to Chinese Opera Masks Liu Bei Gold or yellow face with white fur and beard (Source: www.kungfumagazine.com) (Source: www.smarter.com.cn, modified by Charlene Mo) Guan Yu Red based face with black fur and long black beard (Source:emplion.com) (Source:www.chinaopera.net) 26 Name and Identities of Lion Heads Illustrations In regard to Chinese Opera Masks Zhang Fei Black based face with black fur (Source: www.actaonline.org) (Source:www.chinaopera.net) Zhao Yun Green based face white fur and beard and an iron horn (Source: emplion.com) (Source:www.westcoaslions.net) 27 Name and Identities of Lion Heads Illustrations In regard to Chinese Opera Masks Huang Zhong Yellow based face with white fur and beard (Source: emplion.com) (Source:www.westcoaslions.net) Ma Chao Silver based face with white fur and beard (Source: emplion.com) (Source: www.paulnoll.com) Fig. 3-13 Categories of Lion Heads (Modified by Charlene Mo) 28 Chapter 4: The Process of Making a Lion Head 4.1 The Context: Daxin Road (), Guangzhou DaxinRoad()(Fig.4-1)istraditionallyknownastheplacewheremany lion-head making shops are located. Located in Yuexiu District (), Daxin Roda is one of the historic districts in Guangzhou () famous for the continuous rows of Qilous (, shophouses with verandahs) along both sides of the road, most of which are over 60 years old. Fig. 4-1 The location of Daxin Road (Source: Google Map, modified by Charlene Mo) Frominterviewingthelocalresidents,peopleknewDaxinRoad()forits famous craftworks in the field of lion head, costumes of Cantonese Opera, jade, ivory carving,ceramicphotosandmusicalinstruments(Fig.4-2).Inthemostflourishing moment, 1930s to 1940s, there were more than 40 shops for making and selling lion heads on Daxin Road () , and many other shops for selling other craftwork. It 29 was the most concentrated area of lion head craft in Guangzhou, and probably in the whole of Southern China. At that time, Daxin Road also was known as craftsmanship belt. Nevertheless, it was declined since the Cultural Revolution in 1960s. After the Open Up Policy, many craftsmen would like to continue their crafts, and then went back to Daxin Road, however, the crafts have hit hard times, and only a few crafts shops could still survive. Instead of that, nowadays, Daxin Road is well known as its wholesaleshopsinfieldsofmetaldecorations,leather,andshoesalloverChina (Fig.4-3). Fig. 4-2 The old photo shows Daxin Road (Source: blog.sina.com.cn/meyou01234) 30 Fig. 4-3 Current condition of Daxin Road (Source: blog.sina.com.cn/meyou01234) As shown by the statistical data collected by the author, among more than 200 Qilous andshops(Fig.4-4), therearesixmusicalinstruments,fivelion-headcraftsshops, threeceramicphotoshops,threeivorycarvingshopsandtwoCantoneseOpera costumes shops (Fig.4-5 & 4-6). And the others are the whole sale shops. Fortunately, themajorityofQilousarestillintactandthetangibleenvironmenthasnotbeen destroyed. Once there, you still can experience what the old Guangzhou () is, in the semi-open space under Qilous and shadow of old trees. Notably, Master Zhong J iachao (), who is the Inheritor of Intangible Heritage in the field of making Lion heads, was awarded by Guangdong Province Government, is famous with his craftwork of building lion heads in Guangzhou and overseas. His shop Quansheng () is the oldest lion head shop at Daxin Road () (Fig.4-7 & 4-8). His family business of lion heads was built up and developed in the craftwork belt 31 since the 1930s. Quansheng, which is a typical Qilou with a classic exterior and floor plan, is located in no. 323, Daxin Road (). It is a four-storey Qilou owned by his family.Thegroundflooristheshopforsellingvariouslionheadsandother accessories, and the first floor is the office. Then the rest of the floors are the factory for making lion heads. Lion dance is a traditional art in China. Being the main props, the making procedure of lionheadsisintangibleheritage,itrepresentstheembodimentofpeopleswisdom and craftsmanship, and at the same time, it reflects the living tastes and the traditional customs and culture. This chapter highlights the making method in the field of lion headsanditdocumentsZhongslion-headcraftsmanshipbyintervieweeMaster Zhong J iaochao. Fig. 4-4 Continuous Qilous of Daxin Road (Photo by Charlene Mo) 32 Fig. 4-5 & 4-6 Craft shops at Daxin Road (Photo by Charlene Mo) Fig. 4-7 & 4-8 The oldest lion-head shop Quansheng at Daxin Road (Photo by Charlene Mo) 33 4.2 The Master: Mr. Zhong Jiachao () Fig. 4-9 (Left) Master Zhong J iachao and lion head (Source: http://www.ceosz.cn/Special/2010/201002/2010-02-25) Fig. 4-10 (Right) Quansheng Workshop (Source: www.industrylist.blog.163.com) Mr.ZhongJ iachao()(Fig.4-9)isoneoftheIntangibleCulturalHeritage Inheritors of making lion heads in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. He is the fifth generationsuccessorofZhongslion-headcraftsmanship27 27625 February 2010 ,andhehasmorethan 50-year experience in the field of making lion heads. He was born and grew up in Guangzhou, since 1930s, he has started to learn and practise making lion heads from hisfather,thefourthgenerationsuccessor.MasterZhonginheritedhisfathers workshop Quansheng () (Fig. 4-10). He then continued to develop the business of making lion heads over the past decades. Under his great efforts, Quansheng is oneofthefamousshopsinthefieldofmakinglionheadsinChinaandoverseas. URL:http://www.ceosz.cn/Special/2010/201002/2010-02-25/Special_20100225145559_44567.html(accessed 23 May 2013). 34 Meanwhile, there have been many evolutionary developments and innovations during the making processes, which will be outlined below. 4.3 Pre-fabrication Preparations: Materials and Manpower (1) Materials According to a Chinese saying, a craftsman must sharpen his tools firstly if he would like to do it well. It is well known that, as a craftwork, proper and good quality raw materials play an essential role in the preparatory phrase. In terms of raw materials of lion heads, they are bamboo strips, iron wire, gauze paper, glue water, laser paper, acrylics, writing brush, horsehair, woollen, rabbit hair and hot melt adhesive Generally, there is not any special requirement for the raw materials. As Master Zhong mentioned, nevertheless, bamboo strip and gauze paper are the vital elements. As far as bamboo strips, it needs to be flexible and firm in order to build the wholeframeoflionhead,hence,Qingyuan()bamboo(Fig.4-11)isthebest choice,andGuangning()bambooisthesecond.Qingyuan()bamboois very flexible and firm, and a lion head is required to be able to withstand ten times its own weight without any distortion, while the lion's weight is generally not more than 4 kg. Meanwhile, thin and tough gauze paper is required for papering the frames of lion heads; therefore, gauze paper (Fig. 4-12) from Sichuan Province () is optimal. Generally the costs of raw materials, as mentioned above, only take up 30% of the whole; the rest is the salary for craftsmen. 35 Fig. 4-11 (Left) Qingyuan Bamboo (Source: http://thelionarts.com/crafting.html) Fig. 4-12 (Right) Gauze paper (Source: http://thelionarts.com/crafting.html) (2) Manpower From the interview, Master Zhong mentioned that he is not the only one whos making lion heads in his workshop. For two decades, he has empowered his daughters and some apprentices, and nowadays, he has his own crew to make lion head. Making Southern lion heads is a very complex process due to southern lion heads needtoreflectthespiritoflions,whichshapetheirexaggeratedartisticimage.At present, a standard-size lion head weights from 2 kg to 3.5 kg approximately while around 6.5 kg in the past. In general, the process of making a lion head is divided into fourmajorstages,andthereareover1,300workingstepsinthesefourstages: framing (), papering (), painting () and adorning (). Each stage has its specialized team of craftsmen. Fortheframingteam,therearetencraftsmenhandlingthebambooframeoflion heads.Oneofthemisinchargeofbuildingthebuttonaluminiumframe,andthe others focus on framing the bamboo frame. For the papering team, there are ten craftsmen taking charge of sticking and papering glasspapercoverthebambooframe.Itisrequiredtobepatientandmeticulous, 36 hence the majority of the craftsmen are female. For the painting team, there are ten craftsmen. Each of them can colour and paint the lion heads all alone. For the adorning team, there are ten craftsmen to be responsible for adorning and dressing lion heads as the last steps. Altogether, the process of making a lion head involves forty craftsmen divided in four stages. Normally, a standard lion head takes about seven days based on eight hours of work per day, to go through all the fabrication procedures before its completion. If there are some special requirements or special design, then the fabrication time will be increased to ten days. 4.4 The Process, Stage 1: Framing The framing stage, by definition, comprises building a strong and vivid frame for the lion head by framing bamboo strips and fixing the joints with gauze strips and iron wires.Toachieveastandardsouthernlionhead(Fig.4-13),itmustmeetsome requirements: plump forehead (), smooth shape (), wide mouth with smile (), big and bright eyes (), amygdaline nose (), and bright teeth (). Before building the bamboo frame, the craftsmen need to build the bottom frame (Fig. 4-14,4-15).Itisa1inchflataluminiumrodtoformauniquedesignmolesemi rounded frame. Next step is framing bamboo strips together to shape the lion head. Inbuildingaframeshallconsistentlycentremark,suchthatthe cheeks,noseand 37 ears are symmetrical, as well as the distance of bamboo on both sides shall be even. Please refer to the framing sequence from the lion forehead to its back (Fig. 4-16 & 4-17). As Master Zhong emphases that, during this procedure, craftsmen, who are with the capabilities eyesight, skilled craft and practical experience will take charge of framing. 38 Fig. 4-13 Standard southern lion head (Photo by Charlene Mo) Fig. 4-14 & 4-15 Aluminium bottom frame (Source: http://thelionarts.com/crafting.html) 39 Fig. 4-16 Framing bamboo frame of lion head (Photo by Charlene Mo) Fig. 4-17 Framing bamboo frame of lion head (Photo by Charlene Mo) 40 There are a number of notable features in building a bamboo frame (Fig. 4-18): Lion Forehead () A forehead is of 58.3 cm high. There are two categories of the lion forehead, plump foreheadlion()andconvexforehead().Theso-calledplump forehead lion is the forehead with a wide circular forehead. This style symbolizes simplicity: theLiuBeiFace ()illustratesthischaracter.Onthecontrary, convex forehead lion characterises ferocious and pugnacious, for instance, Guan Yu Face (Red Face) () and Zhang Fei Face (Black Face) (). Lion Back () It is a streamlined back of lion heads, width 126.7 cm, and the centre shaft is about 46.7 cm high. And there is a soft pad inside for the comfort of the performer when he is playing the lion head. Lion Mouth () With a smile, a large mouth is a character of lion head. It is about 40 cm in length, which is suitable for holding vegetables and coconut during celebration activities. Lion Eyebrow () It is necessary to frame a pair of mettlesome and heavy eyebrows to show their personality. Lion Horn () For lion horn, there are many creative designs for the horn, e.g. Eagle Horn Lion (),SharpHornLion(),TrunkAngleHornLion(),Bull Horn Lion () and Tiger Horn Lion (). There are unique designs and images for different lion heads, and it is one of the features of Zhongs Lion Heads. 41 Fig. 4-18 Bamboo structure of lion head (Source: http://www.actaonline.org/blog/43) It is obvious that the framing stage plays a vital part among these four stages, owing to the fact that there are no parameters for the craftsmen to follow, however, all rely on theirexperiencetomasterthewholebuildingframeprocessandgaugethe proportionsofthebambooframe.Nonetheless,thebambooframeisthemost fundamental shape of lion heads, which affects and cannot be amended or changed in the following stages. 42 4.5 The Process, Stage 2: Papering The second stage, after building bamboo frame, is papering gauze and gauze paper coverthewholeframe,insideandoutside.Generallyspeaking,thereissix-layer gauzepapercoveringonbambooframe.Besidesthepatienceofcraftsmen,the emphasis is on using tough gauze paper, so that, they can reinforce bamboo frame and protect it better. Firstly, start with covering bamboo frame with gauze using gum water, so as to secure the entire bamboo frame, and make it sturdy and durable (Fig. 4-19 & 4-20). Then, craftsmenmaskthreelayersinsideandoutsideofbambooframe,whichaimsto smooththeinteriorandexterior.Duringthisstep,theymustcoveronelayerafter drying the previous layer; each layer needs around 1 2 hours to dry in a ventilated roomoroutdoorspacewherethereareshades,butnotexposure.Duringhumid weather, the frame with gauze paper would be dried indoor through dying plant. That is a traditional approach using tree branches, wood and carbon. Master Zhong said. They do not use modern dryer for drying bamboo frames, because of small volume. 43 Fig. 4-19 Papering gauze paper (Photo by Charlene Mo) Fig. 4-20 Papering gauze paper (Photo by Charlene Mo) 44 4.6 The Process, Stage 3: Painting Owing to the evolution of trends and technology of making lion heads, the step after coveringgauzepaperbutbeforecolouringandpaintingbegandecadesago.Itis named masking stage, which is a new sub stage between papering stage and painting stage. In fact, it is a simple step to mask laser paper over the gauze paper by using special gumwater(Fig.4-21).However,itisagoodinterpretationofanewandold.This maskingstagenotonlyoptimizestheoutlookoflionhead,butalsosimplifiesthe colouring process by colouring the whole lion head with acrylic. That improves lion heads while maintaining splendour of profile. Fig. 4-21 Sub-stage Masking laser paper (Photo by Charlene Mo) Inthepast,beforetheintroductionofthemaskingstage,paintingstageinvolved 45 dyeing with bright colours, e.g. red, yellow and black, over gauze paper of the whole bamboo frame before drawing patterns. The painting stage emphasises the aesthetics of handwriting and decorative patterns oflionheads(Fig.4-22).Itrequiresthatthecraftsmenknowcalligraphywellasa basic skill. In accordance with fashions, it prefers the themes about luck, happiness andjoy,moreover,besidesthecolourscheme,sometraditionalandauspicious patterns are requested, for example, dotted pattern, flamed pattern, spiral pattern, etc. Inadditiontothecolourscheme,asmentionedinChapter3,therearefivecolour schemes referring to five different characters and personalities of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (), e.g. Liubei (), Zhangfei (), Guanyu (). Fig. 4-22 Painting stage (Photo by Charlene Mo) Thought to be a skilful stage involving the use of a writing brush, it is a demanding and elaborated craft to select and match colour, as well as draw the details on the lion heads. While there is no fixed pattern, the craftsmen have to exert their talent and skills to draw and match the themes of the lion heads. Therefore, the making process 46 is categorised based on three levels of craftsmen, namely seniors, intermediates and juniors, who are in charge of modelling (Fig. 4-23), colouring (Fig. 4-24) and proofing respectively. Master Zhong pointed out that this is the stage to examine the skill of craftsmenwithyearsofexperience,while;paintingstageistheparticularstage demonstrates the spirit of lion heads. Fig. 4-23 (Left) Modelling patterns by Senior (Photo by Charlene Mo) Fig. 4-24 (Right) Colouring patterns by J unior (Photo by Charlene Mo) 4.7 The Process, Stage 4: Adorning Last but not least, the decorative stage, is necessary, to perfect the lion head. Master Zhong stated that it is exquisite to prettify lion heads by decorations. Firstly, using a varietyofcolouredwools,theforehead,mouth,horn,nose,beard,eyebrowsand eyelids of the lion head are decorated by a hot melt adhesive (Fig. 4-25) . Furthermore, 47 thelionchin(Fig.4-26)shouldbetiedtothelionheadwhichaimsforeasierand better control and performance. Thirdly, plastic eyeballs are rigged to bamboo eyehole by using iron wires. And then the sides of lion nose should be fixed to two lion balls (Fig. 4-27), which are made of silk, by hot melt adhesive as well. Meanwhile, it is vital to decorate a mirror on the lion forehead that signifies praying with the Buddha. After that, it takes 2 to 3 hours to dry in a ventilated room or shaded outdoor space. After the four stages of fabrication, a traditional lion head is completed (Fig. 4-28). According to Master Zhong, there have been lots of innovations at this stage in the pastfifteenyears.Heclaimedthattheystarchedplasticfurtodecoratethefacial features of lion head in the past, whereas, nowadays, they use hot melt adhesive to fix wool and rabbit fur on the facial features of lion heads. The purpose of this is not only to embellish lion heads, but also to ease the weight of lion heads. Although the cost of materials is increased, Master Zhong would like to do it to keep better quality of his brand of lion heads, so as to be more comparative in the market. Fig. 4-25 Prettifying lion head with wool (Photo by Charlene Mo) 48 Fig. 4-26 (Left) Lion chins (Photo by Charlene Mo) Fig. 4-27 (Right) Lion balls (Photo by Charlene Mo) Fig. 4-28 A completed lion head (Photo by Charlene Mo) 49 4.8 Post-fabrication: Storage and Sales Lion heads are best stored in sealed plastic bags and kept under shade in a naturally dry and cool environment without the use of any chemical dehumidifier (Fig. 4-29 & 4-30).However,duringtheveryhumidSpringseasonofSouthernChina,thelion heads have to be unsealed from plastic bags and aired for about 2 to 3 hours in a ventilated room or shaded outdoor space. Fig. 4-29 & 4-30 Storing lion head in dry and ventilate environment (Photo by Charlene Mo) AccordingMasterZhongscrew,workingtogethertheycanmakeathousandlion headseveryyear.Ingeneral,itdependsonmarketingdemands,andoverall economicclimate.Consequentially,themarketingstrategyofZhongslionheads mainlyfocusesontheSoutheastAsianmarket,bothwholesaleandretail,which accounts for 70 percent of the overall sales. Master Zhong expressed, it is a highly competitive domestic market and local market and to compete many small workshops sell low quality lion heads in lower price. In contrast, the Southeast Asian market and 50 overseas market request high quality, so lion heads can be sold at higher prices with high quality. Meanwhile, as well-known brand of Zhongs lion heads, Master Zhong would like to participate in the Southeast Asian market and overseas market with the based on Zhongs lion competitive advantage in relation to quality. 4.9 Concluding Remarks Through those four stages, a lion head is finally built. Among those stages, the most difficult parts are the framing stage and painting stage. It is a major challenge to the craftsmens imagination, skilled crafts and practical experience in those two stages. It depends on how the patterns of lion heads are depicted to illustrate the soul and the personality of vivid and vigorous lions. Withhundredsyearsofhistory,thecraftoflionheadsisdevelopingandevolving undertherapidevolutionallovertheworld,however,untilnow,itisstillapure handmade and skilled work. Therefore, it is generally regarded as one of the most arduous intangible heritage to be inherited and developed. Thus it is a craft requiring professionalandexperiencedcraftsmen,bothlabour-intensiveandlowefficiency relatively.Fortunately,themakingoflionheadswaslistedasNationalIntangible CulturalHeritage28 in2008,whichdrawstheattentionofthepublictoprotectthe craftsmanship, boosts the reputation and promotes its development and preservation. 28National List. National Intangible Heritage List. 2008. URL: http://www.ihchina.cn/inc/guohiamingluer.jsp (accessed 11 April 2013) 51 Chapter 5: Conclusion:UnderstandingtheHeritageofthe Cantonese Lion Head 5.1 The Lion Head as a Heritage To those not familiar with the Chinese culture, the Cantonese lion head may appear as no more than a prop for the performance of the lion dance. As this dissertation reveals, it is in fact a movable tangible heritage expression of the Cantonese folk art and craft, and an intangible heritage expression of the Cantonese culture and spirit. At the same time, it is a cultural bridge for the overseas Chinese that helps to retain their Chinese cultural tradition and identity. The craft of making of lion heads is listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary states that craft is an activity involving a special skill at making things with your hands.29 Indeed, the making process of lion headisacomplicated,fussy,fine-grainedandmeticulousprocedureperformedby hand,andeachstageinvolvescraftworkthatcannotbereplacedbyamachine. Although modern elements, such as raw materials for making lion heads, has been introducedtothecraft,themakingprocesshaschangedlittleovertime.Assuch, there is little argument that the crafts should be valued as an important tangible and intangible cultural heritage that needs to be sustained for future generations. Throughout the making procedure of lion heads, it seems there is a spirit behind the crafts. In the case of Master Zhongs family business, it has witnessed a myriad of events and challenges since the 1930s, and nowadays, his business is still running 29Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2011. URL: http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/ (accessed 18 May 2013) 52 and his daughters and apprentices insist on inheriting it. The spirit and the faith of persistence, perseverance, diligence and innovation keep pushing them to continue their tradition. Indeed, that is the spirit for all kind of folk art in China to be conserved. This is a vital element of the crafts. As elaborated before, in the past, the lion dance was intended to ward off evil spirits. As time goes on, lion dance is no longer considered as a tool of religious ceremony, instead it is a cultural activity and national sport for festival, important occasions and leisuresymbolisingfortune,joyandgreetings.Astheessenceofliondance, meanwhile,theuniquefigureofthesouthernlionheadrepresentsthetraditional culture, life style, religion, and other assets of southern China. With high historical and cultural value, the craft is a crucial tradition worth maintaining and sustaining. Despite the fact that the vast majority of craftwork shops have changed to wholesale shopsformetaldecorationsandleathersincethe1990s,thestreetscapehasnot changed amidst the maelstrom of rapid development in Guangzhou, and local citizens still have a strong collective attachment with their past through the craftwork belt. To thisdayitstandsasaroadwithcontinuousQilous()alongbothtwosides, threaded with towering, old trees (Fig. 5-1). In the past and still in the present, this mixed-use hallmark of Qilous has been preserved, the ground floor for shops, and the other floors for living space and storage. Moreover, the road is full of activities that are part and parcel of daily life, and shop owners, residents and other stakeholders would like to spend time at the semi-open space in the shade of a balcony. As Robinson claimed that the street is an important space and an important part of the story,30 the road, Daxin Road (), is therefore a tangible element intrinsic to the making of lion heads. If it was redeveloped, the road and the environment that form part of the heritage would no longer exist, and the crafts shops would have to relocate or closed. 30Mike Robinson, Keynote Paper 3: Routes, Roots and Roads: Experiencing Streetscapes and Managing Urban Capital, 2nd Asian Academy for Heritage Management Conference Urban Heritage and Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities, Macau: Institute for Tourism Studies, 1-3 December 2009. 53 In concluding, all of the above contribute to the cultural significance of the crafts of making of lion heads. To better understand the crafts and to sustain the heritage, it is essential to combine the crafts, the lion dance and the place as a whole. Fig. 5-1 The environment of Daxin Road (Photo by Charlene Mo) 5.2 Threats against the Sustainability of the Heritage (1) Lack of Inheritor As mentioned in Chapter 3, although there are more than 200 lion dance teams in Guangzhou, and many teenagers would like to learn and to participate in the activity as a sport. However, few are willing to learn the craft of making the lion head and carry on the tradition with their heart. Through the interviews, even though Master Zhong has three inheritors his two daughters and his senior apprentice who has been a trainee more than 15 years, he found it very difficult to pass on his professional skills as people lack the patience to learn something that requires a longer time to master. 54 Most of youngster thought that the craft is boring and tedious because of the complex and meticulous making procedure. Furthermore, some of them lack the passion and persistence necessary for this crafts and after several years of training leave to find other easier jobs. This is a serious concern and a major challenge that the craft is facing. As well as, it is a common threat for many items of intangible cultural heritage in China. (2) Rising Rents Due to the growth of Daxin Road () and the proliferation of wholesale, the rents on wholesale shops are much more expensive than the craftwork shops, about RMB 20,000 per month per shop, which is about five times more than the craftwork shops. This is the main reason why many craftwork shops moved to other places. Master Zhong pointed out that a number of the craftwork shops can survive the high rents on Daxin Road () because some of their shops are self-owned, and the others are governmentowned.Asrentsrise,owners ofcraftworkshopmayfeelpressuredto closetheirbusinessandrentouttheirproperties,orreducedthespaceoftheir craftwork shop and let out part of the shop space. (3) Market Competition Owingtotherestorationandtheincreasingrespectofliondanceandmakinglion heads, consequentially, the market demand is increasing at the same time. In addition to that, many small family cottage-industry workshops have started in recent years. Master Zhong complained that they produce low quality lion heads and sell them at lower prices in order to compete in the local Guangzhou and the China-wide domestic market. On the other hand, Zhongs lion heads are famous for its high quality and are sold at higher prices. To maintain the high quality reputation, Zhongs lion heads must use better raw materials and be built by better craftsmen; and as a result they cannot 55 besoldatlowerprices.Asaresult,theyhavetogiveupamajoritypartofthe Guangzhou and China market, and focuson the Southeast Asian market. Notably, this problem is not limited to the crafts of lion heads, but also a concern for other forms of craftwork in China. (4) Lack of Financial and Policy Support and Public Appreciation With the restoration and the respect of valuable crafts, it has attracted attention from thegovernment,publicandpublicmedia,forexample,themakingprocessoflion heads was listed as an item of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008. While such an honour may bring more prestige and popular awareness, it does not help in solvingtheproblemsmentionedabove.Whatwouldhelparemorepractical assistance from the government in terms of conservation and cultural policies as well as financial support. 5.3 Opportunities for the Sustainability of the Heritage (1) Recognition by UNESCO and the National Government As acknowledged by UNESCO, cultural heritage may be defined as the entire corpus of material signs either artistic or symbolic handed on by the past to each culture and, therefore, to the whole of humankind. As a constituent part of the affirmation and enrichment of cultural identities, as a legacy belonging to all humankind, the cultural landscape gives each particular place its recognizable features and is the storehouse of human experience.31 31Draft Medium Term Plan, UNESCO, 1989. It is no doubt that the making procedure of lion heads is a cultural intangible heritage declared by the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China.56 (2) Adaptability of the Craft with Innovation: Modern Materials For Zhongs lion heads, it is a craftwork with a pedigree of five generations wisdom. However,tosurviveinsuchadynamicera,italsoneedstochangebyintegrating innovation and adaptation. As it was mentioned that Master Zhongs two daughters arehisinheritors,Ms.Zhongwouldliketointegratenewalterationsinlionheads. Firstly, comparing with the traditional process, it is integrated an additional stage masking laser paper, which improves lion heads with splendour profile. Moreover, at adorningstage,theyusewoolandrabbitfurtodecoratethefacialfeaturesoflion heads,insteadofplasticfur,thateasetheweightoflionheadsfrom5kgto3kg. Additionally, it is provided special order for customers as in additional unique figures, decorations and colour scheme. This is also an innovation of lion heads. From Master Zhongs perspective, he considered that the tradition must be retained and conserved, while we cannot avoid changes. Regarding tradition and innovation, given the common interest in heritage value, there isnoconflictbetweentraditionandinnovation,notwithstandingevolutionandthe creation of intangible cultural heritage in the future,32 It is suggested to integrate the old crafts with innovative elements, as fusion, to illustrate its values in better ways in purposetocontinueanddevelopitscharacteristics.Contemporaryera,notthe making procedure of lion heads alone, all of cultural heritage is at a critical juncture, it is advocated to revitalize traditions with new elements for modern needs, thereby, in order to revive and rejuvenate their significance. (3) Adaptability of the Craft with Innovation: Modern Manufacturing Intraditionalmindset,itisthoughtthatsuchcraftslionheadsshouldbe 32EnglishHeritagesConservationPrinciples,PoliciesandGuidancefortheSustainableManagementofthe Historic Environment. 2008. P. 58. 57 predominantly made by one person, the Master. However, it is interesting that, in the case of Zhongs lion heads, the lion heads are not only made by Master Zhong, and they are made by his team. In fact, Master Zhong is taking the position to take charge of the overall quality of lion heads. His team are divided into the four groups to go through the four stages of making lion heads respectively. Each group has its own mission to finish the standard steps, and then pass the semi products to next stage group.Afterundergoingthefourstages,MasterZhongtakeschargetocheckthe qualityoflionheads.Asdescribedpreviously,theproceduresseemmorelikea factoryassemblylinetoproducelionheads,ratherthanaskilfulexecutionof craftsmanship in the hands of the Master. Therefore, which word should be use to demonstrate, make or manufacture, in this case?InaccordancewithOxfordAdvancedLearnersDictionary33 ,itstatesthat makecreateorpreparesomethingbycombiningmaterialsorputtingparts together,andmanufacturetomakegoodsinlargequantities,usingmachinery. Obviously,thewordmakeisacceptabletodescribetheprocess,combing materialsorputtingpartstogether,while,thewordmanufactureisrightto illustrate the quantities of lion heads, but they are not using machinery, lion heads are still handmade as in the past. Wecannotjudgewhichwordshouldbethebestexpressiontodemonstratethe procedure of lion heads certainly in this case, however, one thing can be admired that it is a suitable way to sustain the intangible cultural heritage lion heads. According to Prof.L,34 33Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2011. theprofessorofChineseNationalAcademyofArts,heemphasised,to hand down and sustain crafts, it should relate to production and market. The market demand requires products from craftsmen; craftsmen sell their products to gain profit, asaresult,itisasustainablecycletosustainculturalheritage.InMaster Zhongs URL: http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/ (accessed 20 May 2013) 3427 February 2009. URL: http://www.ccdy.cn/xinwen/pinglun/201109/t20110926_32241.htm (accessed 20 May 2013) 58 case, he said that a lion head took more than a month to make by him alone in the past,whereas,atthepresent,ittakesaboutsevendaystofinishastandardlion headsbyfourcraftsmenofhisteam,atthesametime,hecancontrolthequality. Such a mode of production, it can be considered as an innovation with old issue as well. As previous illustrating, there is no conflict between tradition and innovation, but evolution and improvement of method of production. That is a healthy and practical path to revive and rejuvenate the crafts of lion heads. 5.4 Concluding Remarks From this dissertation, it is hoped that through this more in-depth documentation and analysisofcultureofliondanceandmakingprocessoflionheads,agreater understanding of the crafts has been ascertained. As has been stated in the previous chapters, such cultural crafts performed in China and other Chinese communities in foreigncountries;thecraftsmanshipoflionheadsmakingmethodisanintangible cultural heritage to express tangible and intangible socio-historical value with Chinese communities;andthechallengesandthreatsofthecrafts.Thisdissertation emphasises on reviving and rejuvenating such folk art via the investigation on the lion dance and lion heads. For the further research field, beyond this dissertation, it would be of great interest to do a more detailed analysis of making lion heads, with further input from how to face the challenges and tackle the threads in order better solutions be made for its future. Furthermore, it would be suggested to investigate the differences between Heshan () lion head and Foshan () lion head, in particularly their making processes, as well as the southern lion head and the northern lion head. 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