As many of us (safely) go about our yearly Chinese New Year visitations, collect our long-awaited ang baos (red envelopes) and indulge in our favourite new year goodies, we may have noticed the relative quietness of this year’s celebrations.
With the current prevailing Safe Management Measures (SMMs) in Singapore, which restricts lion dance cai qing (‘plucking the green’ good luck ritual) performances to indoor live performance venues, places of worship, and work-related events (GoBusiness 2022), some of us may miss seeing the energetic and stunning performances of lion dance troupes in their technicoloured costumes and even hearing the deafening beating of drums and crashing of cymbals near our homes, coffee shops and markets.
Chinese lion dancing is a well-known Chinese tradition and culture in Singapore. Generally consisting of a pair of lions, a drum set, a gong, a pair of cymbals and a party popper (MothershipSG, 2021), Chinese lion dancing performances can cause quite a bangarang and contribute to noise pollution.
However, with the deep-seated cultural significance and symbolism attached to this practice, addressing the issue of noise from an environmental perspective can be rather problematic and even cause strife between communities. For instance, lion dancing relies on the loudness and ‘sonic intensity of the percussion instruments’ (McGuire, 2020: 242) to chase away evil spirits and usher in good fortune (Wong, 2022).
Furthermore, lion dancing is a source of income for those who are part of the trade. With the dip in performances this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cost of applying for cai qing permits, many troupes have experienced a fall in revenue of between 80 to 90% (Chong, 2021).
Noise pollution can be a multi-faceted and complex issue when noise is tied to cultural meanings and livelihoods. Moving forward, communities and policymakers will need to approach the nuances of noise pollution associated with Chinese lion dancing with much delicacy and sensitivity to avoid potential socio-economic conflicts.
References
Chong, C. (2021). Troupes keep lions dancing through Covid restrictions in Singapore. Retrieved 28 January 2022, from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/troupes-keep-lions-dancing-through-covid-restrictions-in-singapore
GoBusiness. (2022). CONDITIONS FOR PERMITTED ENTERPRISES TO PERFORM CAIQING LION DANCE DURING THE CHINESE NEW YEAR PERIOD BETWEEN 31 JANUARY
TO 15 FEBRUARY 2022 AS PART OF A CLOSED-DOOR WORK-RELATED EVENT. Retrieved 28 January 2022, from https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/images/guides/Permitted%20Enterprise%20Conditions%20for%20Caiqing%202022.pdf
McGuire, C. P. (2020). War Drums in Chinatown: Chinese Canadian Lion Dance Percussion as Martial Art. Contemporary Musical Expressions in Canada, 242.
MothershipSG. (2021). The Symbolism Of Chinese Lion Dancing [Video file]. Retrieved 28 January 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb5VJsQE4-k
Wong, E. (2022). You’re gonna hear them roar! The symbolism behind lion dance and dragon dance. Retrieved 28 January 2022, from https://thehoneycombers.com/hong-kong/lion-dance-dragon-dance-symbolism/