Portland Lion Dancers come roaring back for 2022 Lunar New Year

For members of many Asian communities, the Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the spring season, usually at the end of January or beginning of February.

The tradition dates back thousands of years. For fifteen days, families and loved ones gather together to celebrate by lighting fireworks, wearing the lucky color red, hanging lanterns, and of course, watching lion dancing.

Two performers, a head player and a tail player, bring the bright and colorful lion to life through the beats of loud drums, gongs and symbols.

They perform tricks, play with the audience, and pretend to eat lettuce wrapped around li xi, red envelopes that contain “lucky” money.

Nick Lee and Nhan Danh coach at two of Portland’s most popular Lion dance teams. Lee coaches at Portland Lee’s Association Dragon & Lion Dance, while Danh coaches at White Lotus Dragon & Lion Dance.

Lion dancing is a classic part of Lunar New Year celebrations. The performances showcase spiritual and cultural Asian traditions.