Vietnamese students represent Europe in international lion dance competition

(Baonghean.vn) - A special passion for lion and dragon dance - a unique cultural feature of Asia - has brought a group of Vietnamese students studying in France on a strange journey across the planet.

.

Lion dance in France: Why not?

In early 2012, six Vietnamese students spent Tet away from home in France. They missed peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, banh chung, lucky money envelopes and lion dances so much that an impromptu idea popped into their minds: Why not do a lion dance ourselves? It would be fun, less homesick, and they might even get a lot of lucky money if they performed in places with many Asians.

No sooner said than done, the whole team pooled their funds to plan the performance. Some people proactively contacted to buy the equipment, others searched for videos online to self-study. The first performance was fortunate to receive enthusiastic support from the Vietnamese uncles and aunts.

The unexpected response from the community pushed the idea of ​​a lion dance group “for fun” further. In the summer of 2012, Nguyen Le Duc Tan (from Vung Tau, studying abroad in Lyon) – one of the first members of the team went to Malaysia to attend a training course with teacher Siow Ho Phiew – one of the founders of the Hong Teck international lion dance group, currently present in more than 40 countries around the world.

With passion and determination to pursue lion dance, Duc Tan and his group members officially registered to become representatives of Hong Teck in France under the name Hong Teck Lyon.

Props and costumes are purchased by team members pooling money and saving performance money.

Members of the group Hong Teck Lyon after a performance.

Success does not come naturally

Professional lion dancing requires absolute perseverance and determination. As a rule, team members have had to practice 3 times a week, each time for 2 hours, for the past 5 years. Team members often joke: Joining the lion dance team is like "paying homage" to a martial arts school, the discipline is as hard as steel!

Hong Teck Lyon's workout video:

.

Yet this environment and activities, which are thought to be just for “fun”, bring unexpected benefits to the members. Professionalism, discipline, good health, perseverance - are valuable assets for life that the members gain thanks to lion dancing.

When facing difficulties in life, they think optimistically: "If I can run 10km in the rain and lift another person over my head, then what's so difficult about this?"

After 3 years of training and saving up performance money to invest in professional equipment, Hong Teck Lyon has reached an impressive level: Mai Hoa Thung. This is a dance move, supporting people on 2.5m high poles with the longest distance up to 1.8m.

Mai Hoa Thung - a difficult technique in lion and dragon dance has been conquered by Hong Teck Lyon.

Stepping into the international arena

The Genting International Lion Dance Competition in Malaysia is a long-standing competition and is held only once every two years. This is a colorful cultural playground, gathering lion dance teams from all over the world and is also the dream of those who are passionate about this unique sport.

From an amateur lion dance group with only 6 members, Hong Teck Lyon now has 33 members and tours to many places in and outside France. Participating in Genting 2016 which will take place in Malaysia this July as a representative from Europe will certainly be a strange but no less meaningful experience for this group of Vietnamese students studying abroad.

Follow the latest news of Hong Teck Lyon via facebook page or website:www.hongtecklyon.frand wish them success in "bringing the bell to strike foreign lands" at Genting 2016!

See more pictures of Hong Teck Lyon:

Khanh Chau

Photo: Facebook Hong Teck Lyon