Beijing's Vibe of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Chinese Solar Terms-Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice arrives on June 21. At this time of year, cicadas start to chirp and heat fills the air. Today is the day when the yang energy is at its peak and the yin energy is just beginning to grow, believed to lead to the rise of evil forces. It is traditionally believed that lion dance can help "get rid of the summer heat and keep epidemics from spreading".

The "Beijing's Vibe of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Chinese Solar Terms", a short video series jointly produced by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and CRI Online, launched the episode "The Young Lion Warrior", focusing on the lion dance of Baizhifang Taishi and Tai Chi (Wang Qihe-style), two of Beijing's intangible cultural heritage items. The episode features the story of Mark, a German student who traveled across a continent to send the lion head "home" and become an apprentice of a master. It shows the inheritance of the folk custom of Beishi (Northern Lion Dance), a type of lion dance for beating the summer heat and dispersing evil forces, and the principles of yin and yang of Tai Chi.