Zhuhai master granted coveted Dragon-Lion title

Master Wu Guoji, a renowned practitioner of the Dragon & Lion Dance, was recently honored as Zhuhai's first national-level referee in the field. "I waited for this certificate for nearly 30 years," he told the Zhuhai Daily newspaper.

The head of century-old Hong Lu Dragon & Lion Marital Arts Studio first had to demonstrate immense prowess and uncanny mastery of the traditional martial-arts performance. The assessment, held last year in neighboring Hunan Province, comprised written tests, practical exercises, industry experience, and more.

Wu was born in Changshaxu Village, which is located at the western end of Meihua Road in Qianshan of Xiangzhou District. There, at age 9, he cultivated a deep interest in local culture and began learning the dance climbs and jumps. He was taught by Wu Luyi, former master of the arts studio.

Wu Guoji and students

The studio earned fame early on performing at the inauguration of Xiangzhou Port in 1909 and the 1937 opening ceremony for Kee Kwan Road, the first private fund-raised highway in Chinese history.

Wu received a seal honoring his leadership, as well as a pair of drumsticks, from his master in the 1990s. "Master passed his drumsticks to me before he died. His wish was that Dragon-Lion martial arts could be popularized so that more and more people liked it. For so many years, I just wished I could realize my teacher's desire through my own efforts," Wu said.

Practice at #15 Primary School in Qianshan

Since then, developing and promoting the arts has become a lifelong mission. Wu has been rewarded for his dedication in the form of numerous national and provincial awards won by his students over the years.

Wu even promoted the martial art during class break at #15 Primary School north of Changshaxu with more than 2,000 students participating. The school has won Zhuhai's class-break setting-up exercising competition for four consecutive years and has been named a National Demonstration School for the Practice of the Dragon & Lion Dance.

Honor certificates

The Hong Lu Dragon & Lion Marital Arts Studio was founded by He Hai, a master of the southern Chinese martial art Hung Ga. The studio's first team was formed in 1990 -- the 26th year of the reign of Emperor Kuang-hsu (Guangxu) during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The name Hong Lu (洪卢) combines characters taken from Hung Shing (洪圣) Temple dedicated to the God of the South Sea, and another temple featuring a local super achiever surnamed Lu (卢).

Lion Dance training [Photos provided by Wu Guoji]