The performance Horse Lantern Dance at Mashan, Binhu district [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Horse Lantern Dance has been popular for centuries in Mashan (Horse Mountain). Before 1949, the founding of the People’s Republic of China, there were three horse lantern dance troupes among the 3,000-residents of Mashan Island. The Yanmen troupe was adept at the story-telling type; the Guzhu troupe was reputed for their humorous style, while the Gengwan troupe was well known for martial arts.

On the third day of the new Chinese lunar calendar year, the horse lantern dance squad would meander through winding paths like a colorful dragon, and would be greeted and served by local villagers in the evening. The troupe would usually perform for three hours in small villages while in large ones, they would perform the dance two or three times until the daybreak.

For the Lantern Festival held on the 15th day of the lunar calendar, the horse lantern dance squad would dance in front of the temple throughout night. When dawn broke, they would hold a sacrificial ceremony called 'killing the horse', and pray that the divine horse would bring the world peace. When the ceremony was over, they would burn the paper horses and shields.

Historically, all the dancers used to be men, and only after 1949 were women allowed to join in the performances. All the tools are made according to the dancers performance needs.