What would happen if rivalry killed culture? At the end of the day, every Mauritian would lose if competition between clubs of dragon and lion dance put an end to these traditions. This is why seven of the clubs promoting Chinese culture have gathered to set up the Dragon and Lion Dance Federation (Mauritius).

Chinese Wushu & Lion Dance Association, Chinese Martial Arts Association, Kwong Hwa Lion’s Group, Attila Cultural Group, Mauritius Taiji Wushu Dragon & Lion Dance Sport Association, Chinese Shaolin Kungfu & Lion Dance Association and the Golden Lion Circle have all gathered to promote the Dragon and Lion dances, which are typical of the Chinese culture.

Who, better than a Mauritian originating from China, could preside such a federation? Liang Dong Sheng has been living in Mauritius for twenty years but he has always been concerned about interesting all Mauritians in Chinese Culture…

Associations of lion dance, with two performers (often called ‘Loulou chinois’ in Mauritius), dragon dance, with ten performers, are part of the federation. The WuShu, a Chinese martial art (like Japanese karate), is also included in the federation.

Mike Wong Pin Young, the federation’s secretary and chairman of the Golden Lion Circle, insists that these seven associations are the “founder members. But this doesn’t prevent other clubs from joining us if they meet the required criteria.” Members of these clubs are not professional dancers but do it as a hobby.

There is no specific criterion to join such clubs for people as from eight. “The idea of such a club is to make Chinese culture more renowned. In that context, we are very pleased each time we welcome a non-Chinese in our clubs.

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