The traditional lion consists of a head that is usually made of bamboo and paper mache. It does not resemble any known lion on earth. It has a mystical look with a furry mustache, ears and eye lids, a horn like a unicorn on the top of its head, and a mirror on it's nose. It could be that travelers from Persia saw lions and described them to the creators of today's lion heads. Lion heads have aluminum and PVC pieces. This makes them lighter and more durable for the acrobatics in the modern patterns.

The colors of the lions vary like the color of the rainbow. Each color has its own significance and meaning. Traditional kung fu schools still stick to these

Today, Lion Dancing is not found in many American Kung Fu schools, but in China it is hard to find one that doesn't perform this important act. In America, the only schools I know of that perform the Lion Dance are those that are extremely traditional with Sifu's that are first generation, or their sons. Some schools I have been to have a set of equipment, but the instructors no longer know what to do with them. Needless to say, none of the American schools rely on Lion dancing for funding. The equipment is used simply as a decoration in an attempt to make the school look more traditional. The people that have a Lion Dance performed for their event are more interested in the cultural aspect of it rather than the religious. Many of the Lion Dance performances are not put on by Kung Fu schools anymore, but are done by acrobatic troupes and Chinese cultural associations. However, there are still a few that believe in the abilities of the Lion. Each Chinese New Year, they seek out!

Lion Dancers to bless their business for the coming year. For them, it is almost disrespectful if a Lion Dance is not performed in the traditional way.

sic and the fierceness of the lion that supposedly scare the evil spirits away. The importance of the symbol of fire can be seen in that it is visible not only in the firecrackers, but is also painted onto the lion's head and the other equipment.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lion Dance, Chinese Chinese, Gong Cymbal, Choy Chang, Guan Kung, Kung Fu, lion dance, Lion Dancers, Fat Choi, Hoi Jong, Lion Dancing, lion dancing, kung fu, traditional lion, fu schools, dance performed, lion dance performed, kung fu schools, drum beat, perform lion dance, eating greens, rainbow color, choy chang, lion dance traditional,
Approximate Word count = 1604
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)