Rachel Lynn Weiss is introducing Zhang Zhenhao and the lion dance . Photo by Zhang Haiyu
Recently in Qiantong Ancient Town, Ninghai County of Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang Province, Lü Qianqian (Lucy) – overseas internet influencer – and Rachel Lynn Weiss from America shot a Chinese lion dance video and shared it globally via the livestreaming platforms of China Global Television Network (CGTN).
不久前，在寧波寧�？h前童古鎮內，外籍華人呂倩倩和美國籍人士Rachel Lynn Weiss站在相機前，把古鎮的舞獅表演通過CGTN的多個直播平臺展示給全球網民。
On September 4th, Hua Chunying, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman , retweeted their video, commenting: “Wonder how lion dance is performed? This young man shows you some basic moves inside the dancing lion costume. Very special, isn’t it?”
9月4日，外交部發言人華春瑩發推文：舞獅是如何表演的？這位年輕人展示了獅衣下的一些舞獅基本動作。很特別，不是嗎？
In the video, 13-year-old Zhang Zhenhao showcased a rehearsal without wearing a lion head costume and a stage performance in full costume. The video received many ‘thumbs-up’ and was forwarded by netizens worldwide. Zhang has been learning the lion dance for nearly 3 years and won first prize at the Zhejiang Dragon and Lion Dance Championships for two consecutive years.
視頻中，13歲的張鎮浩從不戴獅頭的練習到戴著獅頭的表演，獲得全球網友紛紛點贊轉發。張鎮浩練習舞獅近3年，已連續兩年獲得浙江省龍獅錦標賽一等獎。
The Qiantong lion dance in Ningbo has a long-standing tradition dating back to the 18th-century Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). However, this folk dance was a dying art form since the mid-20th century. It was not until the Lantern Festival in February 2016 when the dance popped into the view of local villagers again. The revival of the lion dance culture in Qiantong Ancient Town can be credited to a native youth, Tong Panfeng.
寧波的前童舞獅歷史悠久，最早可追溯至清代乾隆年間。因種種原因，前童舞獅在20世紀中葉逐漸沒落。直到2016年的元宵行會上，才重新“闖進”前童鄉親們的視野。舞獅文化在前童鎮的復興，離不開一個土生土長的古鎮青年——童攀峰。
By coincidence, Tong was inspired to revitalize the lion dance culture upon learning that his grandfather had been a member of the former Qiantong lion dance team. He learned the art of lion dance by traveling across Shandong and Anhui provinces, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and other places in 2015. After returning to Qiantong, Tong decided to promote the dance.
一次機緣巧合，童攀峰得知自己的爺爺曾是前童獅子班的一員，他便想恢復舞獅文化。2015年，他輾轉山東、安徽、廣西等地，學習舞獅。學成歸來后，童攀峰便想推廣舞獅。
With the support of the local authorities and Qiantong Town Central Elementary School, Tong established the “Dragon and Lion Dance Team of Qiantong Central Primary School” as an extracurricular course and formally recruited young students in 2017. Every Thursday afternoon and weekend, young boys and girls could be seen practicing the lion dance on the school’s playground, in the yard of the town’s ancestral hall, and on the hills outside the town. Running, martial-art squats, push-ups, and footwork routines are all part of the lion dance, which requires not only practical movement skills but also strong physical fitness and volitional characters.
2017年，在前童鎮政府和前童鎮中心小學的支持下，童攀峰以課外興趣班的形式成立了“前童中心小學舞龍舞獅隊”，正式招收青少年學生開班教學。每周四下午和周末，學校里、古鎮的祠堂里、鎮外的山坡上有了一群舞獅少年的身影。跑步、扎馬步、做俯臥撐、學習步法程式，舞獅考驗的不僅是動作技巧，更是體能和意志。
The children who insisted on training over the past few years were all hard working, undergoing tears and injuries. It is not uncommon to see young members who failed to try out for the tournament after a two-year preparation continue with their practicing. Tong Panfeng said, “The spirit of the dragon and lion characterized by self-reliance, courage, propriety, and loyalty also has a bearing on shaping children’s characters. This is the charm of the fine traditional Chinese culture.”
幾年下來，堅持訓練的都是肯努力的孩子，每一個都流過淚、受過傷，也有學了兩年都沒能被選中參賽卻依然堅持訓練的。童攀峰說。“龍獅精神是自強、奮勇、崇禮、忠義，對塑造孩子性格也有影響，這就是中華優秀傳統文化的魅力。”
Recent years have witnessed admirable achievements of the lion dance team in provincial and national dragon and lion dance championships. “You’ll never get tired of doing what you love,” added Zhang. For him and his young team members, the lion dance is not just a novel sport but a cultural tradition embedded in their DNA.
近年來，古鎮舞獅隊多次在全國和全省的龍獅錦標賽上取得佳績。“做喜歡的事永遠都不會累。”張鎮浩說。對他和小伙伴而言，舞獅已經從一項新奇的運動變成刻在他們骨子里的文化傳統。
Reporter: Zhang Haiyu
Correspondent: Xu Mingyi
Translator: Mei Jie
Proofreaders: Huang Dawang, Fan Yeping, Jason Mowbray