Indonesian students savor Chinese lion dance in Shanghai

Chinese dragon and lion dances are capturing increasing international students on university campus in Shanghai, bridging global youth with intangible cultural heritage and immersive experiences.

The Indonesian students at East China University of Science and Technology participated in a special activity on Thursday, where they learned from their Chinese counterparts and peers about the knowledge on Chinese dragon and lion dances.

Sticking to integration of education and living transmission of intangible cultural heritage, the university’s dragon and lion dance group has grown from an interest group of just a handful of people into a cultural and educational brand that now encompasses thousands of students over the years.

Hosting over a hundred performances, the group has amazed an audience of more than 100,000, breathing new life into traditional intangible cultural heritage both on and off campus in the new era.

An Indonesian member of the group said that dragon and lion dance had not merely taught him performing skills, but also the spirit of persistence and coordination in teamwork. Such skills and spirit were passed on by members within the group over the past decade, helping over 2,000 students systematically study dragon and lion dance techniques and forging a dynamic new generation of inheritors of this intangible cultural heritage.

Besides knowledge, participants also got immersive hands-on experience in making dragon lanterns, weaving bamboo strips and attaching the dragon’s horns. At first, everyone was a bit flustered, but with the group members’ help, colorful dragon lanterns gradually took shape one after another.

Over the past four years, the group has held more than 130 events about dragon and lion dance, making the culture more tangible, accessible and engaging. Taking a youth perspective, a special education brand was also established both online and offline, which released 38 episodes about the intangible cultural heritage and reached over 50,000 people across the world.

In addition, the university group has established cooperation with a number of middle and primary schools across the nation. With more international students joining in dragon and lion dance experiences, the group is hoping to engage a wider audience across the globe, and demonstrating the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture in a vivid and youthful way.