Foshan, Guangdong: A Spring Festival Journey into Lion Dances, Kung Fu Spirit, and Lingnan Water Towns
As Spring Festival arrives and warm southern breezes move through Guangdong, Foshan comes alive with drums, firecrackers, and bright red decorations. Right now, the city feels especially festive, with lion dance troupes practicing in temple courtyards and families preparing for joyful reunions. Foshan is not just a place to celebrate Chinese New Year. It is a place to feel Lingnan culture in motion, where kung fu legends, water towns, and festive traditions come together in a lively and welcoming way. Lion Dance and Cai Qing: The Heartbeat of Foshan New Year Foshan is one of the most important birthplaces of Southern Lion Dance, and Spring Festival is the best time to see it in full glory. During Cai Qing (picking the greens) performances, lion dancers leap, climb, and move with strength and grace to "collect" good luck from hanging greens and red envelopes. The sound of gongs and drums fills the streets, and the lions seem almost alive. Watching a Foshan lion dance during N...