Green Lion青狮is alion dance
舞狮art form in Fujian province 福建believed to have its origins in
the anti Manchu movements 反清复明during
the early Qing dynasty清朝(1644-1912).
It is similar to the typical lion dance except that it is mainly green
in color and with distinct round flat mask.
Green lion, sounds similar to Qing army 清师and when fitted with blades, it symbolized the Manchurian army. Its ferocious
look was a reminder of the devastation that occurred during the Qing conquest of
Southern China.
During training sessions, the Green lion is a
moving target for trainees and became the physical manifestation of Manchurian
aggressiveness to stimulate trainees. Contemporary Green Lion performance gives
an idea how the training may have looked like. See the following clip:
After the fall of Qing dynasty in 1912, martial
arts expert Mr. Gan De Yuan
干德源is
said to have organized a performance in Quanzhou 泉州where
the Green Lion was dismembered to
represent the overthrow of the Qing dynasty. From that point onwards, the Green Lion is used
without the blades and function as a form of physical training. The performance
of Green Lion fulfills cultural and ritual purposes.
What is the degree of historical validity in
this story and if true, how was this symbolism transmitted since the early Qing dynasty?
Historical background
In 1644, the Ming dynasty was overthrown by a
rebel army led by Li Zhi Cheng 李自成.
As the rebel army moved towards the Forbidden City, the Ming Emperor Chong Zhen
崇祯皇帝
hung himself at the Coal Hill marking
the end of Ming dynasty.
In the ensuing chaos, the Manchurians
invaded China and established
their control over Northern China.
Meanwhile, Ming princes established resistance
centers in Southern China known as the Southern Ming 南明.
From 1645 to 1646，Ming prince
Zhu Yujian 朱聿鍵,
the Prince of Tang 唐王, was
declared Emperor LongWu 隆武and used Fuzhou,福州，
the capital of Fujian province as his anti Qing base.
Emperor Longwu was defeated in October 1646 and
executed in Fuzhou. His supporter, local
warlord Zheng Zhilong 郑芝龙,
surrendered to the Qing army but his youngest son Zheng Chenggong 郑成功continued
the resistance movement.
Zheng Chenggong used Amoy and Taiwan as his base
to launch expeditions against the Manchurians. This movement ended in 1683 when
the Manchurians captured Taiwan.
Although Ming resistance occurred in other parts
of China, the movement in Fujian was the longest stretching over a period of 38
years.
The resistance movement created major problems
for Fujian inhabitants. In an attempt to isolate Zheng Cheng Gong after his retreat to Taiwan, the Manchurians moved costal populations of Jiangsu 江苏,
Zhejiang 浙江,
Fujian 福建and
Guangdong 广东provinces
inland. These policies created massive
upheaval for the uprooted population.
On the other hand, the resistance movement
probably symbolized hope whenever the general population was unable to resist
unpopular orders. One of the most resented policies was the hair and dress
regulation introduced unsuccessfully in 1644 and imposed again in 1645.
It required all males to shave their forehead
and to fashion the hair into a queue. This practice violated Confucian and
cultural values and created resentment towards the Qing authority. The
slogan “overthrow the Qing to restore the Ming "反清复明" continued
throughout the Qing dynasty.
Throughout Qing rule, discussion of Ming resistance resulted in
imprisonment or banishment. The Qing government also attempted to impose strict
censorship over the empire. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi 康熙,
there was an index of proscribed works. From 1774 to 1789, Emperor Qianlong
乾隆launched
the literary inquisition where works deem critical of Manchurians or the dynasty
were destroyed or censored.
This historical background created conditions
likely
for Green Lion performance as symbolic political resistance and
the transmission of that political stand. Due to the sensitiveness of the
subject and its penalty, the Green Lion’s anti Qing symbolism is unlikely to
have been transmitted through written records.
So while there is circumstantial evidence to
support the Green Lion as an act of political resistance, further evidence from
archeological sources or indirect text references will be useful.
In any case, the continuation of this art form
serves an opportunity for physical training and its founding story serves as
avenue for students to learn about a turbulent period of Chinese history.
