Taihe Lion Lantern Dance has a history spanning over a century. Its founder, Zhang Shouben, was born in 1849 and was skilled in martial arts from a very young age. During festivals like the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Spring Festival, Zhang would gather fellow martial arts enthusiasts and, using handmade lion props, created simple dance movements that depicted the lion’s various emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. This dance was passed down through his family and eventually gained widespread popularity in the community.

The Lion Lantern Dance has a long-standing history in Taihe County, known for its graceful choreography that reflects both local and ethnic characteristics. The lion dancers, all skilled martial artists from the Hui ethnic minority, deliver captivating performances filled with exciting moments. Through dynamic movements like leaping, jumping, rolling, pouncing, standing, crouching, and flipping, they vividly portray the lion’s majesty, bristling mane, and head shaking and tail wagging. The dancers also demonstrate impressive feats, such as leaping onto tables, rolling a silk ball, and performing acrobatic stunts on plum blossom poles, making this performance a beloved tradition among the community.