The lion and cat dance is a traditional custom of the Tay and Nung people in Cao Loc, Loc Binh, Van Lang, Van Quan, Binh Gia and Trang Dinh districts in Lang Son. This activity is often performed on the first and second days of the Lunar New Year and on some special occasions such as the rice-growing festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, groundbreaking ceremonies, housewarming ceremonies... The lion and cat dance has many meanings, because it not only shows the martial spirit of the mountain people, but is also a symbol of luck and happiness in life. 
Lion dance is an activity that expresses people's aspirations for a better life. Join Vietnam.vn to participate in a lion and cat dance festival through the photo series "Lion and cat dance" by author Nguyen Thi Bich Huong. The photo series was submitted by the author to the Photo and Video Contest "Happy Vietnam - Happy Vietnam", organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications. 
Lion dance is a comprehensive performance form, in which dance is the main one, but it is inseparable from music and performances. In addition to expressing the martial spirit of the mountain people through strong and healthy melodies. Lion dance is also an activity expressing people's aspirations for a better life. Because the people here believe that lions symbolize prosperity and development, wherever lions go, they bring happiness, abundance and joy. Therefore, in Lang Son, at the beginning of the new year, the Tay and Nung people often invite lion dance teams to their houses to dance with the belief that the appearance of lions will drive away evil spirits, destroy all epidemics, and represent peace and belief in a prosperous new year. 
Along with the dance are the performances of martial arts, swords, weapons, and indispensable props such as: panther face, monkey face, gong (la), cymbals (xup xe, ap xue, nghe xa), three-pronged nail (sam xa), sticks, short swords (pan tao), swords, sharp knives... in the lion and cat dance. 
The cat lion dancer will control a head that is similar in shape to a lion's head, but has a cat's face. The lion head is made from available materials, combined with many colorful colors such as red, black, yellow or dark blue... Because the Tay and Nung people believe that the cat lion dance is to ward off bad things and bring good luck, the fiercer the cat lion's face is, the better, the more powerful the martial arts dance is, the better. 
When dancing the lion cat, the martial arts movements are both fast and graceful, combined with the bustling sound of drums and gongs, making the audience extremely excited and enthusiastic. Following the rhythm of the drums, gongs, and cymbals, the dancer must move the lion cat up, down, and rotate in the right rhythm. Through the martial arts movements and rhythmic up and down movements, people can recognize the religious elements that the lion conveys to humans and gods. A dance only lasts 7 minutes, but it requires skillful techniques from the performer. 
The villagers believe that wherever the lion goes, it brings happiness, abundance and joy. In the lion-cat dance, martial arts movements such as boxing, swords and weapons are indispensable to show the strength and resilience of humans. That strength is always to protect the villagers from all dangers. 
Currently, in Lang Son province, there are nearly 100 lion and cat dance teams, with nearly 1,000 performers and dozens of lion and cat head artists. Each lion and cat dance team has from 8 to 16 people, including: lion dancers, orangutans, monkey faces and ethnic martial arts dance teams. Depending on the space, location, purpose, and requirements of the lion and cat dance, there are many suitable dances such as: Dance to greet the gods, worship ancestors, pray for luck, dance at the Long Tong festival, somersault through the ring of fire... 
With its traditional cultural values, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the Lion Dance of the Tay and Nung people in Lang Son as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2017. Thereby, it aims to turn this type of art into an attractive cultural tourism product unique to Lang Son, contributing to enriching the journey of sightseeing, discovery and experience of tourists in and outside Lang Son province. Each contest category (photo and video) has the following prizes and prize values: - 01 Gold Medal: 70,000,000 VND - 02 Silver Medals: 20,000,000 VND - 03 Bronze Medals: 10,000,000 VND - 10 Encouragement Prizes: 5,000,000 VND - 01 most voted work: 5,000,000 VND The winning authors will be invited by the Organizing Committee to attend the Announcement Ceremony and Award Ceremony and Certificate on live television of Vietnam Television.Vietnam.vn
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