It is a well-known ancient art form and the lion dance is now to be jointly nominated by China and Malaysia for the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.

During Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s maiden visit to Malaysia in June, celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, he and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim underlined the cultural significance of dance by signing a joint communiqué nominating it for UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Observers say the action by the two Asian countries underlines the role of dance in building social networks in local and diasporic communities, while highlighting the “transnational nature” of Chinese cultural heritage across Southeast Asia and strengthening Sino-Malaysian relations.

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The aim of the UN World Heritage list is to help protect traditional cultures and living expressions of different civilizations around the world, such as Chinese silk production, Arabic calligraphy or the Thai “Nora” dance.

References to the lion dance can be found in writings as early as the fourth century, including the Chinese literary canon Shujing, also known as the Book of Documents. The tradition is widespread throughout Southeast Asia and is practiced by communities that historically originated in southern China.

“Both sides celebrate the lion dance as a form of shared history and jointly promote the preservation of our common heritage,” said a statement on the joint nomination.

Chinese Ambassador Ouyang Yujing praised the move, saying it could help “better preserve and shine this common heritage in the new era.”

It is not the first time that the two countries have worked together to protect a culturally important practice: in 2020, the Wangchuan ceremony, which includes rituals to maintain a sustainable connection between people and the ocean, was added to the UNESCO list following a joint nomination by China and Malaysia.

According to Emily Wilcox, a professor of Chinese studies at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, Beijing has been promoting lion dancing since the early 1950s as a “symbol of Chinese folk culture.” The art form has been popularized through films and has also been used in award-winning performances by Chinese teams at international dance competitions.

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on June 19 in Putrajaya, near Kuala Lumpur. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Chinese Premier Li Qiang with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on June 19 in Putrajaya, near Kuala Lumpur. Photo: EPA-EFE>

“The joint nomination reflects the deep roots of this tradition in both China and Malaysia, as well as the presence of active and vibrant contemporary lion dance communities in both countries,” said Wilcox, who specializes in China’s performing arts and cultural history.

“Joint nominations help to recognize the transnational nature of Chinese cultural heritage and its importance throughout the Southeast Asian region.”

According to Wilcox, lion dancing has become an important part of local Malaysian-Chinese cultural life. Malaysian-Chinese lion dancers have also contributed to new innovations in dance practice and host major international lion dancing competitions.

Modern interpretations of this art form – usually performed at celebratory occasions such as weddings, business openings and New Year celebrations – feature dancers in lion costumes performing culturally-oriented acrobatic acts alongside rhythmic drumming.

Wilcox described the custom as “ritually significant.”

“In the multicultural societies of Southeast Asia, lion dancing has at times served as a public expression of Chinese minority identity in the face of pro-assimilation policies or local bans on Chinese cultural practices,” she said.

Malaysia’s national cultural policy, introduced in 1970, defines the core of the country’s identity as indigenous Malay and Islamic and emphasizes the assimilation of non-Malays into the Malay ethnic group.

“Since the 1990s, Malaysian Chinese have had more opportunities to publicly express their culture. Lion dancing is an important part of this. The teams form important social networks in local communities and help pass on cultural heritage from one generation to the next,” said Wilcox.

During Li’s three-day trip to Kuala Lumpur, a total of 14 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were signed on issues ranging from durian trade to semiconductor investment. The joint nomination is a “continuation” of one of the agreements, said Koh King Kee, president of the Centre for New Inclusive Asia, a Kuala Lumpur-based think tank.

The MOU, entitled “Executive Programme for the Implementation of the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation”, is valid until 2029 and, according to Koh, is “an expression of the long and close cultural ties between the two countries”.

“Such cultural cooperation between China and Malaysia is not due to geopolitical pressure. It reflects the shared values ​​and long historical ties between the two peoples,” Koh said, noting that bilateral relations are not limited to trade and investment.

“Cultural exchanges and cooperation promote people-to-people relationships, which form the foundation of strong bilateral relations, especially in a multicultural society like Malaysia,” he said.

Koh added that Chinese heritage is “well preserved” in Malaysia, where cultures from China, India, Islam and the West converge.

“The lion dance is recognized in all communities in Malaysia. There are now lion dance groups whose members are mainly Malays and Indians.”

Malaysia also intends to nominate the 24 Festival Drums, a farmworker-inspired performance that combines drumming with choreography, to UNESCO, Koh said. It refers to the 24 solar periods of the lunar calendar created by farmers in ancient China to guide agricultural affairs and farming activities.

“Since the performance is based on ancient Chinese traditions, it has a better chance of being included in the list if it is submitted jointly by Malaysia and China,” he said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice for reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, visit the SCMP app or the SCMP Facebook page and Þjórsárdalur Pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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