The lion performance in Nanshangguan belongs to the "martial lion" of the northern lion dance. It is a traditional folk dance that was popular in Fengcheng Township, Houma City, Shanxi Province in the middle and late Qing Dynasty. According to the "Houma City Chronicles", when Nanshangguan founded a charity school in the 50th year of Emperor Kangxi (1712), Wang Yuhao and others from the village invited lion dance to celebrate. According to the recollections of the older generation of artists, during the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival in the old days, people danced the mighty lion to pray for good weather, peace and prosperity. The martial lion performance in Nanshangguan is accompanied by gongs, drums and cymbals, and combines singing, dancing, music and acrobatics. The lion head is made of bamboo strips, and the skin is made of wool dyed yellow. The small lion is danced by one person, and the big lion is danced by two people. One person stands to dance the lion head, and the other bends over to dance the lion body and tail. The lion dancers are covered with lion blankets, and wear yellow lion pants and golden claw hoof boots of the same color as the lion body. The appearance is very similar to that of a real lion, showing the majesty and majesty of the lion. The martial lion performance is divided into three parts: the first part is the "lion dance", in which eight lion dancers hold embroidered balls and dance happily with the cooperation of drums and cymbals. The rough and bold dance steps create an atmosphere for the appearance of the martial lions later; the middle part is the "lion dance", in which each "lion dancer" usually teases a lion, and eight big lions open their bloody mouths, jump and pounce towards the "lion dancers", followed by cute little lions rolling on the stage, showing the majesty and majesty of the king of beasts. The band uses gongs, drums and cymbals to play light, heavy, slow and fast rhythms, and the drums are deafening, showing a majestic and vivid scene; the last part is the "mountain climbing flying dance", in which the square table and ladder on the field represent the high platform and the high mountain respectively. In the performance, two mighty lions jump onto the two corners of the square table and surround the "lion dancers" in the center of the square table. In order to escape from the lion's mouth, the "lion dancers" keep climbing up, and the lions chase them closely. When the "lion guide" climbs to the highest point, he slides down the cable headfirst, and the lions also jump down from eight directions, pushing the whole performance to a climax. The performance is thrilling and full of dangers, reflecting the martial spirit of the Chinese nation. The Nanshangguan Wushi performance is loved by local people for its exquisite performance skills, rough and bold performance style and exciting scenes. It has high artistic value, research value and appreciation value. Information source: General Office of Shanxi Provincial Government Information source: General Office of Shanxi Provincial Government