In step with tradition

Inheritor of lion dance art passes on spirit of ethnic unity in Xizang autonomous region

Lhorong county, with an average elevation of about 3,700 meters, was once an important stop along the ancient Tea Horse Road and a significant channel for Tibetan-Han exchanges. Locals in Xobando town injected elements of Tibetan folk dances into the Han lion dance introduced to the town in the early years and created a new performing art — the Xobando lion dance.

Tengpa Anye, 69, who began to learn the lion dance from his father at 13, is an inheritor of the Xobando lion dance art. In the past, Tengpa had to make lion dance props by himself because he could not afford the ready-made ones. Nowadays, thanks to improved living conditions and support from the local authorities, Tengpa and his students can use professionally prepared props and enjoy opportunities to appear at major performance events.

No longer an agile performer due to his age, Tengpa is devoted to training younger Xobando lion dancers. He has been teaching lion dance at a primary school in Xobando since 2015.

The Xobando lion dance bears witness to the history of exchanges and integration among diverse ethnic groups in Xizang. "By teaching the lion dance, we are passing on the spirit of ethnic unity," Tengpa said.