Lion dance
The lion dance has been suggested to have been introduced from outside China as lion is not native to China, and the Chinese word for lion itself, "shi" (獅), may have been derived from the Persian word "šer". Detailed description of lion dances appeared during the Tang dynasty and it was then recognized as a foreign import, but the dance may have existed in China as early as the third century CE. Suggested origin of the dance include India and Persia, and during the Northern and Southern Dynasties it had association with Buddhism. In the Tang court, the lion dance was called the Great Peace Music (太平樂) or the Lion Dance of the Five Directions (五方師子舞) where five large lions of different colours, each over 3 metres tall and each had 12 "lion lads" with the lions being teased by performers holding red whisks. Another version was performed by two persons, and was described by Tang poet Bai Juyi in his poem "Western Liang Arts" (西凉伎), where the dancers wear a lion costume made of a wooden head, a silk tail and furry body, with eyes gilded with gold and teeth plated with silver, and ears that move, a form that resembles today's Lion Dance. A variety of instruments are included in Lion dances. Some of these instruments include gongs, drums, and cymbals. All the music is synchronous with the movements in Lion dances. There are two main forms of the Chinese lion dance, the Northern Lion and Southern Lion. The Northern Lion looks more lifelike whereas the Southern Lion is less lifelike, but it holds more power. A form of the lion dance is also found in Tibet where it is called the Snow Lion Dance.