Taiping Global Festival and Lion Dance Competition 2022
The Taiping Global Festival and Lion Dance Competition 2022 is a local and international lion dance competition, held in Taiping for the first time from September 23 to September 25, 2022.
The competition is divided into two sub-events:
- a national lion dance competition, held on Saturday, 24 September, with participants from 15 local teams, vying for 4 slots representing Malaysia in the global competition
- a global competition, held on Sunday, 25 September, with participants from 6 countries: Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, and Malaysia
Participants
Malaysia
15 teams will be competing for 4 slots to represent Malaysia in the Global competition. Participants come from 6 states:
Perak
- Persatuan Kebudayaan Tarian Naga & Singa Chea Mien Hong Teck, Ipoh, Perak
- Persatuan Tarian Naga dan Singa Hong De Teluk Intan, Perak
Penang
- Persatuan Tarian Singa Jong Hwa Seberang Prai, Penang
Pahang
- Persatuan Tarian naga dan Singa Pei De Kuantan, Pahang
- Kelab Tarian Singa dan Naga Persatuan Pembinaan Kuantan, Pahang
Johor
- Persatuan Tarian Nada fan Singa Kun Seng Keng Muar, Johor
Kuala Lumpur
- Persatuan Tarian Singa Khuan Ngai, Kuala Lumpur
- Persatuan Kebudayaan Hong Teck Kepong, Kuala Lumpur
Selangor
- Persatuan Tarian Naga & Singa Hong Jing Subang, Selangor
- Yu Hua Dragon and Lion Dance Kajang, Selangor
- Persatuan Tarian Singa dan Naga Jugra Hong Teck, Kuala Langat, Selangor
- Persatuan Tarian Naga dan Singa Kim Ying Ampang, Selangor
- Persatuan Tarian Naga dan Singa Hong Teck Selayang, Selangor
- Catholic High School Alumni Association Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe, Selangor
- Persatuan Tarian Naga dan Singa Xuan Long Rawang, Selangor
Indonesia
- Indonesia FOBI Klenteng Xian Ma Makassar
- Indonesia FOBI Kong Ha Hong Lion Dance Troupe
Singapore
- Singapore Yi Wei Athletic Association Team A
- Singapore Yi Wei Athletic Association Team B
Vietnam
- Vietnam Hainam Lien Huu Sport Association
- Vietnam Hong Teck Sport Association
Australia
- Western Australia Chung Wah Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe
Thailand
- Thailand Hoon Hong Athletic Association
Organisers
This event was jointly organised by:
- 6 Sense Group, an event management company, overseeing the management and execution of the event, and
- the Malaysia Hong Teik Sports Association, an athletics association with 48 local member organisations, and 40 international member organisations in 15 countries.
The organisation of this event was also supported by Koperasi Waris dan Kerabat Raja Negeri Perak, Tourism Perak, and the Taiping Municipal Council.
The main sponsors for the event were Taiping Mall as the event venue, Spritzer, and Flemington Hotel.
Activities and Events
The Taiping Global Festival and Lion Dance Competition 2022 has three main activities and events:
- the Lion Dance Competition, which is the main event, held in the lobby of Taiping Mall’s ground floor
- the gallery and exhibition is held on the 2nd floor of the mall, with artwork and craft from the Taiping Association members and local Taiping artisans
- the food festival, held along Persiaran Taiping, the street adjacent to Taiping Mall, with several food trucks and stalls, serving mostly traditional Chinese food, and other delicacies
Opening Ceremony and Exhibition Performances
The event was officially launched on 22 September by The Orang Kaya Menteri of Perak, Orang Besar Jajahan Larut, Matang, & Selama YAB Tuan Dato’ haji Wan Mohd Isa bin Dato’ Haji Wan Mohd Razali.
Also in attendance were the chairman of the Taiping Municipal Council, the District Officer of Larut, Matang, & Selama, the ADUN for Tualang Sekah, the CEO of Tourism Perak, and a representative from the Taiping Police.
Prior to the launching of the event, there were several exhibition performances by Taiping Chinese schools.
The launching of the event was followed by a brief explanation on the lion dance, and a test of the competition grounds by participants.
The Lion Dance Competition
The day saw the 15 competing teams from Malaysia duking it out for the 4 slots to represent the country in the global competition to be held the following day.
Young men and women, some of them high school students, gave their all in the event, exhibiting some very admirable athletic and musical prowess, donning their competition uniforms and the lion costume, jumping from pole to pole in feats of coordination, rhythm, and athleticism that could only have come from long, hard hours of training.
Most people would assume that the two “dancers” in the lion costume were the most important part of the show, but the fact is the lion dancers perform as a troupe, with the musicians that beat the drum and clash the cymbals playing a strong role in coordinating and directing the moves of the “lion”, and sometimes responding to the “lion”. This becomes especially apparent when the “lion” sometimes nods and acknowledges the musicians, either signifying their next move, or indicating the need for a short lull to catch their breath.
The spirit of sportsmanship was definitely alive in the competition arena, with the competing teams cheering for and supporting each other, even though they were essentially enemies competing to eliminate one another from the competition.
The competition began in the morning at 10 o’clock and was completed late in the afternoon, at nearly 7.00 pm.
Taiping Mall’s lobby was packed, with spectators vying for a view from all four floors of the building.
