Hawaii Lion Dance Association

We are Hawaii Lion Dance Association (www.hawaiiliondance.com) and we were established in 1999 and our mission is to promote and preserve the Chinese culture in the State of Hawaii and North America through the performing arts, through fun, fellowship and fitness using the performance of the Chinese lion and dragon.

Our organization’s motto is: “Zi Qiang Bu Xi” or “Always Improve” through fun, fellowship and fitness (for all ages)! With continuing support from our community, all honorariums received are applied towards the operations of our organization, educational opportunities, new equipment and support given to other performing arts organizations. No individual receives payment for their participation, nor do we charge any membership dues or fees. There is no (minimum or maximum) age limit to join our organization!

Our organization is comprised of dedicated volunteers, consisting of friends, students and young professionals from different ethnicities.

Our vision is for all ages (from the toddler to the golden ages):

• To build and develop relationships that will be long-lasting for many years.
• To develop skills that will provide solid foundations that we will apply in our lives.
• To teach and share cultural awareness and to develop a better understanding of our heritage.
• To teach each other to work as a team to Believe; Endure; and Achieve as each person develops their individual life skills.

By sharing our vision, we will promote the Asian culture by teaching our young children (and golden agers) about our heritage. In addition, we believe our organization will provide for non-Asian Americans the opportunity to learn and understand the Asian culture better, particularly our Chinese culture.

We are determined by the Internal Revenue Service, and recognized by the State of Hawaii, as a non-profit organization with a 501(c)3 status (FED IN: 30-0036931; Hawaii GET: W40102120-01); of which we are grateful and privileged to receive and maintain.

Lion and Dragon dancing is unlike. The lion is not an indigenous animal to China and is representative/mascot of the martial arts organization. The dragon is a mythical animal, comprised of physical characteristics of animals, such as the horns or antlers of the deer, the humps of a camel, movement like a snake, scales of the fish, head shape of the horse, etc. The golden dragon is the representative of the Emperor.

Lion dancing represents a symbolic and important tradition of the Chinese culture. The history of lion dancing dates back to 2,000 years ago during the Tang Dynasty. Over time, the people of China admired the animal and adopted the lion into their culture as a prominent symbol of bravery, righteousness and peace. The significance of the lion dance is that it is believed to bring good luck, prosperity and happiness to every joyous occasion.

The cultural significance of the lion dance is that it is believed to bring good luck, prosperity and happiness to every joyous occasion. The historical symbolism of the lion is said to have been used to unify a nation and with it bring hope, faith and unity between its people for a common cause, much like when we join together to celebrate a joyous event, such as a wedding or birthday!