The large-scale ethnic dance drama "Awakening Lion" premiered in Bangkok: Showing Lingnan culture shocked overseas audiences
The Bangkok premiere of the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater's large-scale national dance drama "Awakening Lion" on its Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand tour was held at the Ratchada Theater in Bangkok.
Quick Look
- On the evening of the 3rd local time, the Bangkok premiere of the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater's large-scale national dance drama "Awakening Lion" on its Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand tour debuted at the Ratchada Theater.
- The performance combines Southern martial arts and Guangfu folk customs, showing the anti-British history of Sanyuanli and Guangdong lion dance culture, which aroused strong resonance among the audience.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater's large-scale national dance drama "The Lion Wakes" has started a tour of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The Bangkok premiere was held at the Ratchada Theater on the evening of the 3rd local time.
China News Service, Bangkok, October 4 (Li Yingmin, Liang Junxiang) On the evening of the 3rd local time, the Bangkok premiere of the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater's large-scale national dance drama "Awakening Lion" on its Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand tour was held at the Ratchada Theater in Bangkok.
Performance stills. Photo by Liang Junxiang
As a major event of the "2026 Guangzhou Cultural Week", this performance, which is highly anticipated by the Thai people and Chinese folks, finally kicked off on this golden autumn night. In the theater, sonorous drumbeats sounded from behind the scenes, and a platinum lion jumped out. The awe-inspiring aura of "The lion wakes up the soul of the country, and the drum beats uplifts the spirit" instantly ignited the entire audience.
The dance drama is based on the true history of the anti-British resistance in Sanyuanli, Guangzhou, and uses the Guangdong lion dance as the soul of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage. It integrates southern martial arts, Guangfu folk customs and modern stage technology. When the climax of "Resisting the British in Sanyuanli" was performed, the theater burst into endless applause. The profound heritage of the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage and the artistic quality of the works that won the "Lotus Award" Dance Drama Award and the "Wenhua Drama Award" were vividly displayed in this overseas premiere, which was praised by the audience as a cultural shock of "bloodline awakening".
Performance stills. Photo by Liang Junxiang
The Thai audience at the scene said: "After watching the whole performance of "The Lion Wakes", I couldn't stop crying. As soon as the gongs and drums sounded, it was as if the story of my ancestors' crossing the ocean was replayed before my eyes. The five words "The Lion Wakes Up the Soul of the Country" deeply shocked me. As a third-generation Chaozhou descendant in Thailand, tonight I understood what roots are and what home is."
Performance stills. Photo by Li Yingmin
China and Thailand are as close as one family and have thousands of miles of cultural connections. After the success of the first performance, the second performance of the dance drama "Awakening Lion" in Bangkok will be performed at the Ratchada Theater on October 4th; on October 10th and 11th, the dance drama "English Song" will take over the stage.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The second performance of the dance drama "Awakening Lion" in Bangkok will be performed at Ratchada Theater on October 4
Very likely · Within hours
Open Questions
- How was the response specifically to the second show in Bangkok?
