Lion dance is a folk festival custom in Meishan. It is said that Meishan lion dance originated in the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty (1821), about 180 years ago. According to legend, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, pirates were rampant along the coast of eastern Zhejiang, and they often boarded and robbed people. Under the leadership of Shen, the young people on the island practiced martial arts to fight against pirates, and they were famous in the four townships. In the fight against pirates, the villagers tied themselves up in red-haired lions to show their power. When they found pirates landing, they took the appearance of lions as a signal, shouted in unison, and stood up to fight. Because of this, the Meishan lion opened its mouth, showed its teeth, stared, and looked fierce. When the pirates learned that the red-haired lion was out, they all fled in embarrassment. With martial arts and lions, there were fewer robbers, and the island gradually became peaceful. Slowly, the red-haired lion became a tool for the people on the island to celebrate and entertain, and the people called it "lion string". Meishan lion dance has also formed its own characteristics. For example, the routine of "opening four doors", the dance method of "opening four doors" and the tricks such as "lion's mouth spitting fire", "head and tail connected", "lion's body lunging forward and rolling" give people an extremely powerful feeling. Especially after continuous innovation and improvement in recent years, Meishan lion dance has formed its own unique concept in high-pile design and lion dance action design. For example, the "Plum Blossom Pile Flying Lion Picking Green" performance, the whole set of "Plum Blossom Pile" movements is thrilling and difficult. It represents the highest level of lion dance in China today and has a high ornamental value. Over the years, Meishan lion dance has participated in more than 600 provincial, municipal and district celebrations. In particular, in March 2010, it won the silver medal in the "Lvxiang Cup" Yangtze River Delta Traditional Dragon and Lion Invitational Competition to welcome the World Expo, and was invited to participate in the cultural performance of the Shanghai World Expo. Information source: Ningbo Cultural Center (Ningbo Exhibition Hall Ningbo Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center) Information source: Ningbo Cultural Center (Ningbo Exhibition Hall Ningbo Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center)