Lithe lions grr-eet the Tiger

HOTELS in Kuala Lumpur welcomed the lion dance troupes the past two days as they ushered in the Year of the Tiger with acrobatic ferocity.

At the hotels where the performances took place, tourists, hotel guests and onlookers crowded around the lion dance troupes to enjoy the spectacular shows.

At the Cititel Hotel Midvalley yesterday, onlookers gathered at 10am at the lobby where four lions prepared for the routine dance which is believed to ward off evil spirits.

The lions from the Hong Wu Dance Centre first blessed the hotel lobby and offices before the show proper began.

Later, one lion, manned by two dancers, drew gasps from the crowd as they performed feats on the 2.5m high steel bars.

Happy 10th anniversary: The lions handing offerings of lettuce leaves, mandarin oranges and pomelo to Cititel Hotel Midvalley general manager Edwin Low.

Dancing to the beat of the drums and the cymbals, the dancers carried one another as they balanced their weight on the thin poles.

They did all this while batting the lion’s eye lashes and cheekily shaking the lion’s rear.

Two of the hotel guests, Luen Chicote, 55, and her best friend Angei Lee-Jones, 50, were happy they managed to catch the performance before they flew back home to Australia the same day.

The best friends are avid fans of the lion dance and first saw the acrobatic version on a DVD bought from Chinatown, Singapore.

“The performance was really quite impressive. We first thought today’s performance was going to be the normal dance until we saw the poles,” added Jones.

She also said the performances they had seen in Australia were not as exciting as the ones in Malaysia.

“It’s also amazing to see young children being able to perform this well. I think it teaches them great discipline,” added Chicote.

Cititel Hotel Midvalley general manager, Edwin Low, said the event had been held for 10 years now but this year it was extra special as the hotel was celebrating its 10th anniversary.

During the show, the God of Prosperity was also seen handing out sweets to guests. The handing over of offerings consisting of lettuce leaves, mandarin oranges and pomelo was the final act.

At the Dynasty Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, the hotel’s lion dance was also staged on the second day of Chinese New Year.

The event started at the lobby with two lions from the Choy Lee Fatt Nan Sheng Sports Association making its round for the ritual blessing of the Tang Palace Chinese Restaurant and Aseana Coffee House to bring in good luck and prosperity for the year.

The playful lions then proceeded to the main entrance for the final act, where they flexed their talents on the pillars to catch the ang pow packets tied to a lettuce.

Curious audience: A crowd gathering at the lobby of Dynasty Hotel Kuala Lumpur to watch three lions performing a ritual to usher in good luck and prosperity.

The act symbolises the lion stalking for food while the ang pow is meant to show gratitude for the blessing.

After eating the lettuce, the lion returned the greens back to the business and audience for good luck.

Present to witness the significance of the event was the hotel’s executive director Datuk Lim Soo Kok, wife Datin Angelyn Lim and general manager Tan Jin Seng alongside heads of departments, employees and guests.

On Sunday, the arrival of the Year of the Tiger was greeted with a thunderous lion dance performance at the Parkroyal Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

The performance by the Persatuan Hainan Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan Thean Hou Temple drew some 100 guests and onlookers at the hotel lobby.

Accompanied by the thunderous roar of drums and cymbals, the two lions amazed the audience with their showmanship and acrobatic movements.

Jumping big cats: The lion dancers showing off their acrobatic skills during their performance at the Parkroyal Hotel Kuala Lumpur on the first day of Chinese New Year on Sunday.

The performance ended with the lions presenting the “pot of prosperity” to Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur general manager and area vice-president, Malaysia for Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Lloyd Daser.

In the spirit of caring and sharing, the hotel encourages its guests and patrons to take part in its charity drive “Caring For Children” in support of non-profit organisations devoted to the protection and development of children.

Guests can take part by dropping spare change into the donation box located at the hotel lobby (next to the checkout counter).

Funds collected will go towards “Protect and Save The Children (PS The Children) and “Stepping Stones Living Centre”.

Quality Hotel Kuala Lumpur also kicked off the new year with a lion dance performance.

Although the celebration began at 8am, the hotel lobby was already packed with guests and visitors who were eagerly waiting for the dancers. The dance troupe of 20 members were from the award-winning Kok Ngai Dance Troupe.

The crowd was a mix of local and foreign tourists, who took photos while the two playful lions pranced and gave visitors oranges, which are a symbol of prosperity.

Engrossed: Guests at the Quality Hotel giving their full attention to two lions ‘eating’ a tray of mandarin oranges and other offerings.

Meanwhile, the God of Prosperity gave away red packets that held lucky numbers for the year.

The dancers jumped as high as 3.5m to catch the ang pow packet which was tied with salad.

They also went to the hotel’s coffeehouse, Meisan Szechuan Restaurant and the functions rooms to bless the areas for better business luck.

Quality Hotel resident manager Hidzir Abd Hamid said it was the hotel’s tradition to hold its lion dance early on the first day of the new year.

Meanwhile, guests at the Boulevard Hotel Midvalley, Kuala Lumpur were greeted by fire crackers and lion dance on the first day of the Chinese New Year.

The crowd waited for the 20-man troupe from Hong Wu Lion dance centre to perform the famed dance in front of the hotel at 10am.

Thundering performance: Young drummers in action during the lion dance at Boulevard Hotel Midvalley.

Four lion cubs danced their way into the hearts of eager onlookers as they performed each dance move to perfection.

After a short performance at the entrance, the four cubs manned by youngsters made their way into the lobby and later to the ninth floor to the Flutes Living Room and Wild Rice Restaurant.

The dance was accompanied by traditional Chinese drums and cymbals to chase away evil spirits and to usher in good luck.

A God of Prosperity was seen handing out sweets to all those present.

The highlight of the event, however, was an acrobatic performance when one of the lion cubs performed on stilts.

The crowd cheered every dangerous move performed and many were watching with bated breath.

Boulevard Hotel general manager Lim Boon Eow said the lion dance was held every year for five years now.

A guest from Victoria, Australia, Ian Dickson, 64, said he came down as soon as he heard the sounds of the fire crackers.

“We have lion dances in Australia as well but I have never seen the acrobatic stunts. It was spectacular,” he added.