大头娃娃 (Dàtóu wáwá or Dai Tao Fut, called Big Headed Buddha in English). This incredible paper mache masks can see at Lion Dance on China New Year Festival. There are many stories surrounding this symbol of good luck and happiness. The most popular myth that can connect Dai Tao Fut with Lion Dance is as follow.
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| Dai Tao Fut and Liu Tsui mask of my collection |
It believed that in the early days, lions were evil animal and they destroy things. Heaven sent a Buddha named Dai Tao Fut to tame the lion. When Dai Tao Fut came down to earth, he fights with the lion, they fight, fight and fight and after many rounds still neither could win the other. Finally, he successfully trick the lion and uses his belt to tie the lion's horn than dragged it to the nearest temple. There, the two of them silently kneel and pray together, and the lion found peace in his heart. The belt shows its power and change the evil behaviour from bad turn good. That is the reason why no matter what colour of Dai Tao Fut costume, the belt has to be in Red. And that is also why when people perform the eye opening ceremony on the lion head costume, the red ribbon is tied on its horn.
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| Big Head Buddha mask and Lion Dance (source: www.alamy.com) |
The story of Dai Tao Fut may clear and not makes many confuses if the female Buddha; a tall skinny woman; doesn’t appear. The Big Headed Buddha and his companion female Liu Tsui / Liu Cui (Jade Green Willow) are a separate myth that got integrated into the Lion Dance routine. In the other myth, the Big Headed Buddha was always a jovial and silly person. He stays in an ancient temple that had a thousand year old willow tree. The tree had a female spirit and can appear in the form of human being as Liu Tsui. One day when all the other monks went down the mountain for a ceremony at the village, the monk was left to guard the temple alone. Jade Green Willow appeared and successfully seduces the monk. Unfortunately for them, a village person happened by and was alarmed to hear a giggling male and female voice. Looking over the wall, he was shocked and amused at what he saw. Cannot keep silent so long, he laughs out loud and suddenly falling down from his ladder. When he went back to the village he told his story to some of the people and embellished it to make it more amusing. The people laughed with delight. There was a festival coming up and they decided to make it into a kind of comedy play. It became a popular folk tale and quickly spread as we can see a joyful dance bellow.
In a variant, the village person is replaced by an opera troupe performing lion dance. After saw the couple actions, they thought it was hilarious and incorporated them into their lion dance routine, and the Jade Willow was appeared in Lion dance with Dai Tao Fut as we can see now.
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| Dai Tou Fut and Liu Tsui mask in a Lion Dance (source: http://blog.atmtxphoto.com) |
Now a day, these masks become very popular as many other common elements of Chinese culture, they are not only costume but also decorative, that can bring laughs and humour to home.
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