Folklore > China > Qilin Dance


 Nov 04 2020  

Qilin dance performance, as Chinese intangible cultural heritage, is very popular in the northwest countryside of Huanghua City, Hebei Province. It is performed during every Chinese Lantern Festival to welcome good fortune and pray for nice weather, good crops and peace. Normally, Qilin dance requires two dancers, the one in front who walks on wooden stilts, swaying with the head of Qilin, and the one behind who bends his back and moves the tail. The performance is quite a challenge, strong in action and needs closer cooperation of the two dancers. The skeleton of Qilin is made of bamboo stick and covered by fabric, on which the scales sewed with colored satin and laser paper. The head, teeth and other parts are all painted. Stilts are made of local hardwood.