上个星期四，我们参加了学校组织的舞工作坊。这是一次非常有趣的活动。在工作坊里我看到了两只可爱的狮子。它们身上的颜色很鲜艳，头上有一独角，嘴巴和眼睛。眼睛可以灵活的一开一关 。经过这次学习，我学到了狮子分为北狮和南。南狮没有全身长毛，北狮像真的狮子一身长毛。我觉得舞狮是一个了不起的文化。老师让我们把狮头带在我们头上，我这才明白狮子头是很重的我想到表演员们需要不断地练习坚持，我喜欢这种活动，我希望下次还会有类似的活动，让我们学习更多的传统文化。  

                                                                                                                                           CL3_1 安吉

          Last Thursday, we participated in a lion dance workshop organised by the school. It was a very enjoyable activity. During the workshop, I saw two adorable lion dance costumes. They were brightly coloured, with a single horn on the head, along with a mouth and eyes. The eyes could open and close freely. Through this experience, I learnt that lion dance is divided into two types — the Northern lion and the Southern lion. The Southern lion does not have fur all over its body, whereas the Northern lion resembles a real lion with a full coat of long fur. I think lion dancing is a remarkable cultural tradition. The teacher let us put the lion head on, and it was only then that I realised how heavy it was. This made me appreciate how performers must train continuously and persevere. I enjoyed this activity very much and hope that there will be similar activities in the future, so that we can learn more about our traditional culture. 

                                                                                                                                                     CL3_1 Angelina🐝

       上周四，学校请来了舞狮团，为我们举办了一场工作坊。一走进课室，我就看到地上有两头彩色的狮子，心里又好奇又兴奋。狮头大部分是红色的，它的眼睛会眨,嘴巴会张开。舞狮团的人告诉我们南狮和北狮的区别。最难忘的是让我们把头伸进狮头里体验。原来我一拉绳子，眼睛就会眨一下,再抬一下嘴巴下面就会张得大大的。原来狮子那些丰富的表情，全由舞狮人的手演出来的，而且狮子会有心情，它有时开心，有时生气，有时疑惑。这次工作坊让我大开眼界！舞狮不仅仅是一场表演,更是我们华族文化吉祥的一部分，希望更多人可以喜欢它！

                                                                                                                                         CL3_1 龚略

        Last Thursday, the school invited a lion dance troupe to conduct a workshop for us. The moment I walked into the classroom, I spotted two colourful lions on the floor and felt both curious and excited. The lion head was mostly red, with eyes that could blink and a mouth that could open. The lion dance troupe explained to us the differences between the Southern lion and the Northern lion. The most memorable part was when we got to stick our heads inside the lion head to try it out for ourselves. I discovered that when I pulled a string, the eyes would blink, and when I lifted another, the mouth would open wide. It turns out that all of the lion's rich expressions are controlled entirely by the hands of the performer, and the lion even has moods — sometimes happy, sometimes angry, and sometimes puzzled. This workshop was truly an eye-opening experience for me! Lion dancing is not just a performance; it is an auspicious part of our Chinese cultural heritage. I hope more people will come to appreciate it! 

                                                                                                                                             CL3_1 Gong Lue🐝

       上个星期四，我们学校举办了一场名为“校园舞狮文化讲座”的活动。这次讲座主要介绍了舞狮的历史，以及南狮和北狮之间的不同特色。活动一开始，一位来自早报校园的工作者先为我们讲解了舞狮的起源。我这才知道，原来舞狮并不是真实存在的动物，而是神兽。接着，一头舞狮现场为我们表演了各种表情，例如生气、开心和难过，演得非常生动，十分逼真。原来，即使是舞台上一个小小动作，背后也需要付出大量练习和努力。通过这次讲座，我不仅了解到舞狮的来历，也深深感受到其中的文化魅力。真希望学校以后能多举办类似的活动，让我们有机会更深入地了解狮团的历史与文化。

                                                                                                                               CL3_1林汐🐝

       Last Thursday, our school organised an event called the 'Campus Lion Dance Culture Talk'. The session focused on the history of lion dancing, as well as the distinctive characteristics of the Southern lion and the Northern lion. At the start of the event, a representative from Zaobao Campus spoke to us about the origins of lion dancing. It was then that I learnt that the lion in lion dancing is not a real animal, but a mythical creature. Following that, a lion dance costume was performed live before us, displaying a range of expressions such as anger, happiness, and sadness — all portrayed in a remarkably vivid and lifelike manner. I came to realise that even the smallest movement on stage requires a great deal of practice and effort behind the scenes. Through this talk, I not only gained a better understanding of the origins of lion dancing, but also developed a deep appreciation for its cultural charm. I truly hope that the school will organise more similar events in the future, giving us the opportunity to learn more about the history and culture of lion dance troupes. 

                                                                                                                                          CL3_1 Cecilia🐝

       我很喜欢这个活动，我也学到很多关于舞狮的知识。我最喜欢的一个部分是我们可以戴上舞狮的头，因为我觉得那是一个特别的东西，我以前都没有体验过。我明年还想学习更多跟舞狮相关的东西，因为我觉得这堂课很有趣，也让我对华族文化有了更深入的了解。                                                                               CL4_1 依欣🐝

        I really enjoyed this activity and learnt a lot about lion dancing. My favourite part was being able to wear the lion dance head, as I felt it was a special experience that I had never had before. Next year, I hope to learn more about lion dancing, as I found the lesson very interesting and it gave me a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. 

                                                                                                                                                  CL4_1 Yee Yaan🐝

        我们观看了一段关于舞狮表演的视频，并学习了南狮和北狮的区别。在新加坡，我们常见的是南狮，而北狮则多见于中国北部。第一个舞狮团是在七十年前成立的。

        这次舞狮展示，我们有三个收获。第一，舞狮可以做出不同的动作和表情。第二，舞狮不只是男生可以表演，女生也同样可以参与。第三，一个舞狮队需要八个人，分别负责音乐和舞狮表演。

        不同种族的人都可以加入舞狮团，小孩子也不例外。当天也有一些《大拇指早报》的记者前来参观。

        舞狮团的成员需要学习武术和舞蹈。舞狮身上不同的颜色也各有不同的含义。

        虽然舞狮看起来很简单，但其实非常需要团队合作与配合。

        舞狮通常在农历新年和新店开张时出现，表演者能让舞狮做出各种不同的表情和动作。

        舞狮并不像我们想象中那么简单，它需要耗费大量体力。我们也有机会亲自体验舞狮，发现里面有许多绳子。我们还学到了如何控制舞狮的眼睛和嘴巴。

- 思彤，乃心，恩萱，梓涵，美雅 (CL5-1)

We watched a video about lion dance performances and learnt about the differences between the Southern Lion and the Northern Lion. In Singapore, the Southern Lion is more commonly seen, while the Northern Lion is more prevalent in northern China. The first lion dance troupe was established seventy years ago.

From this lion dance showcase, we had three key takeaways. First, the lion dance can incorporate a wide variety of movements and expressions. Second, lion dancing is not limited to boys — girls can participate as well. Third, a lion dance troupe requires eight people, each responsible for either the music or the lion dance itself.

People of different ethnicities are welcome to join a lion dance troupe, and children are no exception. On the day of the visit, several reporters from SPH Zaobao Thumbs Up also came to observe.

Members of a lion dance troupe are required to learn both martial arts and dance. The different colours on the lion costume each carry their own distinct meaning.

Although lion dancing may appear simple, it actually demands a great deal of teamwork and coordination.

Lion dances typically appear during the Lunar New Year and at the opening of new businesses, with performers bringing the lion to life through a range of expressions and movements.

Lion dancing is far more challenging than we had imagined — it requires a tremendous amount of physical strength. We also had the opportunity to try it ourselves, and discovered that there are many ropes inside the costume. We even learnt how to control the lion's eyes and mouth.

- Sheryl, Naixin, En Xuan, Mia, Grace (CL5-1) 🐝

        星期四下午，学校邀请了舞狮团和《大拇指早报》的记者前来参观。舞狮分为南狮和北狮两种。以前的舞狮重达十公斤，但现在的舞狮比从前轻了许多，只有三公斤。

        舞狮融合了舞蹈和武术。人们表演舞狮，是为了招财进宝和驱赶邪灵。

        王浩岩同学在回答问题后获得了礼物，非常开心。大家都积极举手回答问题，希望能够赢得礼物。陈乙酆同学也感到很开心，因为他觉得舞狮表演非常有趣。柯遵毅同学则感到十分兴奋，因为我们有机会亲自操控舞狮的头部。

- 浩岩、乙酆、遵毅 (CL5-1)

On Thursday afternoon, the school invited a lion dance troupe and reporters from SPH Zaobao Thumbs Up to visit. Lion dances are divided into two types: the Southern Lion and the Northern Lion. In the past, a lion costume weighed as much as ten kilogrammes, but today's costumes are much lighter than before, weighing only three kilogrammes.

Lion dancing incorporates both dance and martial arts. People perform lion dances to attract wealth and prosperity, and to ward off evil spirits.

Wang Haoyan was overjoyed when he received a gift after answering a question correctly. Everyone eagerly raised their hands to answer questions, hoping to win a gift. Chan Yifeng was also very happy, as he found the lion dance performance thoroughly enjoyable. Jayden O, on the other hand, was extremely excited because we had the chance to operate the lion's head ourselves. 

- Haoyan, Yi Feng, Jayden (CL5-1) 🐝

       七月二日下午的高华课，我们和三年级、四年级高华班的同学一起去了PAL Room。在那里，我们见到了李老师，并参加了一个有关舞狮的讲座。除了李老师，还有四位受邀前来的、会舞狮表演的叔叔阿姨。他们还带来了两头狮子，一头是黑红色，一头是红黄相间，两头都非常可爱！

       在讲解过后，我得知舞狮还分为南狮和北狮。南狮在新加坡更为常见，有红、黑、黄等颜色。然后我们还学到了狮子可以通过音乐、眨眼睛和动耳朵来表达不同的表情。

       随后，他们让我们试戴狮头。狮头比我们想象中的轻，里面有红色的绳子，可以用来控制舞狮的眼睛和耳朵。

       最后，我们观看了他们的舞狮表演。瞧！这只调皮的小狮子一蹦一跳地来到我们面前，它铜铃般的大眼睛盯着我们，眨了眨眼，动了动那又红又大的耳朵，实在太可爱了！它还摇了摇胖乎乎的身子。

- 瑞媛、雨心、婷安、颖瑄 (CL5-1)

During our Higher Chinese lesson on the afternoon of 2nd July, we joined the Primary 3 and Primary 4 Higher Chinese classes for a visit to the PAL Room. There, we met Teacher Li and attended a talk about lion dancing. In addition to Teacher Li, four specially invited uncles and aunties who are skilled in lion dancing were also present. They brought along two lion costumes — one in black and red, and the other in red and yellow. Both were absolutely adorable!

After the presentation, I learnt that lion dancing is divided into two types: the Southern Lion and the Northern Lion. The Southern Lion is more commonly seen in Singapore, and comes in colours such as red, black, and yellow. We also learnt that the lion can convey different expressions through music, blinking its eyes, and moving its ears.

Afterwards, we were given the chance to try on the lion head. It was much lighter than we had expected, and inside there were red ropes that could be used to control the lion's eyes and ears.

Finally, we watched a live lion dance performance. Look! The cheeky little lion came bounding towards us, its large bell-like eyes fixed on us. It blinked, wiggled its big red ears, and shook its chubby little body — it was simply too cute for words!

- Seowon, Yuxin, Ting An, Ying Xuan (CL5-1) 🐝

        上个星期四，我们一起到PAL Room学习舞狮。那时，我们都非常兴奋。

        集合后，讲解便开始了。活动开始时，李老师先向我们介绍了舞狮分为北狮和南狮，并告诉了我们许多关于舞狮的知识，例如舞狮一百多年的历史，以及他们舞狮团队的发展。讲解结束后，老师还提出了一些问题。如果我们答对了，就能得到一份小礼物。之后，我们还有机会亲身体验舞狮，试着拿起狮头和狮尾，感受舞狮的乐趣。

        半个小时后，我们学到了更多有趣又有意义的知识。例如，新加坡南狮和北狮的狮头重量大约是三公斤到六公斤。此外，新加坡第一个女子舞狮团是在1966年成立的。九十多年前，南狮和北狮的狮头重达一百多公斤。狮头上的狮毛有许多不同的颜色，例如白色、蓝色、黑色、红色、紫色和深蓝色等。

        通过这次活动，我们不仅学到了许多关于舞狮的知识，也了解了舞狮的历史和文化，还亲身体验了舞狮的乐趣。这次学习让我们收获满满，也让我们更加喜爱中华传统文化。我们希望以后还能有机会参加这样的活动。

- 喆骏、子柏、照义、毅勳 (CL5-1)

Last Thursday, we went to the PAL Room together to learn about lion dancing. We were all very excited.

After gathering, the session began. The teacher, Mdm Li, started by introducing us to the two types of lion dance: the Northern Lion and the Southern Lion. She also shared a great deal of knowledge about lion dancing, including its history spanning over a hundred years, as well as the development of their lion dance troupe. After the presentation, Mdm Li posed some questions to us. If we answered correctly, we would receive a small gift. We were also given the opportunity to experience lion dancing firsthand, trying our hand at holding the lion head and lion tail, and enjoying the fun of it all.

Over the course of half an hour, we learnt many more interesting and meaningful facts. For instance, the lion heads used in Singapore's Southern and Northern Lion dances weigh approximately three to six kilogrammes. We also learnt that Singapore's first all-female lion dance troupe was established in 1966. More than ninety years ago, the lion heads for both the Southern and Northern Lion dances weighed over a hundred kilogrammes. The mane on a lion head comes in many different colours, such as white, blue, black, red, purple, and navy blue.

Through this activity, we not only gained a wealth of knowledge about lion dancing, but also deepened our understanding of its history and culture, and experienced the joy of lion dancing ourselves. This learning experience left us with much to take away, and gave us an even greater appreciation for traditional Chinese culture. We hope to have the opportunity to take part in similar activities in the future.

- Jer Jun, Zibo, Zhao Yi, Jonas (CL5-1) 🐝

        上个星期四下午，同学们集合在PAL Room，听老师向我们介绍舞狮文化。

        我们学到了狮子分为两种：南狮和北狮。南狮长得比较可爱，北狮长得比较凶猛。南狮的另一种说法是"醒狮"。舞狮表演至少需要五到六个人。舞狮是中国文化中的传统舞蹈，表演者身穿狮子的服装，模仿狮子的动作，以求好运与财富，并驱除邪气。新加坡的第一个舞狮团是成立于1920年的义堂舞狮团。舞狮是一项具有悠久历史的中华传统艺术，也是中华民族重要的民俗活动之一。

        农历新年和端午节的时候，人们都会邀请舞狮队表演，为大家带来欢乐和祝福。舞狮通常由两位表演者合作完成，一个人负责狮头，另一个人负责狮尾。他们互相配合，才能表现出狮子的各种动作，例如跳跃、翻滚、眨眼和亮相等。南狮造型威武，颜色鲜艳，动作有力。北狮则动作活泼，常有翻腾之势。

        总而言之，舞狮是一项融合了艺术、体育和文化的活动，是珍贵的文化遗产。我们应该让更多人认识舞狮，把这份优秀的中华文化继续发扬光大，让舞狮精神代代相传。

- 庄妍、蒽瞳、慧恩、文葶 (CL5-1)

Last Thursday afternoon, students gathered in the PAL Room to listen to our teacher introduce us to the culture of lion dancing.

We learnt that there are two types of lion dances: the Southern Lion and the Northern Lion. The Southern Lion has a cuter appearance, while the Northern Lion looks more fierce and imposing. Another name for the Southern Lion is the "Awakened Lion" (Xing Shi). A lion dance performance requires at least five to six people. Lion dancing is a traditional dance in Chinese culture, where performers dress in lion costumes and imitate the movements of a lion, in hopes of bringing good fortune and wealth, and to ward off evil. The first lion dance troupe in Singapore was the Yi Tang Lion Dance Troupe, established in 1920. Lion dancing is a time-honoured traditional Chinese art form, and one of the most important folk activities of the Chinese people.

During the Lunar New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival, people invite lion dance troupes to perform, bringing joy and blessings to all. A lion dance is typically performed by two people working together — one person controls the lion head, while the other controls the lion tail. Through close coordination, they are able to bring the lion to life with a variety of movements, such as leaping, rolling, blinking, and striking a pose. The Southern Lion is majestic in appearance, vibrant in colour, and powerful in movement. The Northern Lion, on the other hand, is lively and dynamic, often featuring acrobatic tumbling sequences.

In summary, lion dancing is an activity that blends art, sport, and culture, and stands as a precious piece of cultural heritage. We should help more people learn about lion dancing, continue to carry forward this outstanding aspect of Chinese culture, and pass on the spirit of lion dancing from generation to generation.

- Zhuangyan, En Tung, Hui En, Wen Ting (CL5-1) 🐝