director of the millennium

"Wow~"

"Director Daniel, is today some important Chinese festival?"

As soon as the "Doctor Strange" crew arrived at their hotel on Hong Kong Island, everyone in the crew clearly felt the difference in the atmosphere.

Although, in a big city like Hong Kong Island, the atmosphere of the Spring Festival is not very strong, and it is not like the second- and third-tier cities in mainland China with fireworks and firecrackers and a strong sense of the New Year.

But the Spring Festival is, after all, the most important festival for the Chinese people. Even in the most prosperous Central area of ​​Hong Kong Island, the shops on the streets will be decorated with lights, banners celebrating the New Year, and discount sales.

Some red lanterns, new Spring Festival couplets and other items that are full of Spring Festival characteristics were also hung out.

If you pay a little attention, you can still tell what festival the local residents are celebrating.

"Yes." Wu Yuan was very happy to explain to the actors and staff of the crew: "Now it is the most important festival in China - the Spring Festival."

"The importance of the Spring Festival to the Chinese people is equivalent to Christmas in the West. It is the most important festival of the year and the day for families to reunite."

"At this time, everyone in the country will spend more than ten days at home with their families and have many celebrations."

"If it weren't for this movie, I would have been reunited with my family at home."

Wu Yuan shrugged, complaining a little.

During Christmas, the crew had a holiday for three days. Although British people like Benedict did not have time to go home for the holiday, most of the crew members were Americans. They could go home nearby to celebrate Christmas Eve and then return to the crew.

But when the Spring Festival came, Wu Yuan had no way to take a holiday and had to continue filming "Doctor Strange".

Who says this movie is an American movie? Americans don’t have the custom of celebrating the Spring Festival.

However, it is also a good thing to bring these young foreigners to China to experience the Spring Festival.

Looking at his watch, Wu Yuan smiled and asked, "It's only six o'clock in the afternoon. In order to adjust to the time difference, it's best for everyone to go to bed after 10 o'clock in the evening."

"So, we still have about four hours left. Do you want to go shopping with me and experience the Chinese New Year?"

As a tourist city, even during the Spring Festival, all stores in Hong Kong Island will only be closed from the afternoon to the evening of New Year's Eve, and will resume business after the first day of the new year.

After all, the Spring Festival is also one of the times when Hong Kong Island has the most tourists, especially tourists from Guangdong Province.

It is only 2015, and Hong Kong Island still ranks at the top among Chinese people's favorite tourist destinations. Especially with the sudden increase in the number of wealthy people in the country, this tax-free paradise has become even more popular.

Therefore, Wu Yuan was not worried that he would see everyone behind closed doors when he took them out.

"With pleasure." Benedict was the first to respond, saying with great interest, "I know about the Chinese New Year. I have participated in it in Chinatown. They have an activity called lion dance, which is very interesting."

"What a coincidence, Guangdong Province is one of the birthplaces of lion dance in China and has a profound lion dance culture." Wu Yuan said with a smile.

There are two types of lion dance: southern and northern. The southern lion dance is also called the awakening lion dance, and Nanhai in Guangdong Province is the earliest and most authentic birthplace of the southern lion dance.

Foshan Lion Dance is the most famous lion dance venue in Guangdong Province, which is also reflected in the "Huang Feihong" series of films.

Wu Yuan, who happened to know about this, shook his head and introduced to everyone: "It is said that in the birthplace of the ancient Chinese nation, there was a mountainous area where a ferocious lion lived." "The lion often appeared in the surrounding villages, causing great harm to the villagers, hurting their livestock and threatening the safety of the villagers."

"In order to get rid of the threat of the lion, the villagers decided to learn martial arts in the hope of being able to kill the ferocious lion."

"After arduous training and hard work, they finally mastered the unique martial arts and successfully defeated the lion."

"To commemorate this feat, the villagers created a dance imitating the lion to show their heroic fighting spirit."

"The spirit of bravery and solidarity embodied in this legend was later reflected in dance performances, especially in the art form of lion dance."

"The movements and gestures in the lion dance imitate the lion's form and show the villagers' heroic deeds. Such performances are not only an art form, but also a tribute to the wisdom and courage of our ancestors."

"As time went by, the story of this legend has been preserved and passed down to this day, becoming the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation and a symbol of people's eternal pursuit of courage and unity."

"Wow, that's really cool." After listening to Wu Yuan's introduction, Benedict exclaimed in sudden enlightenment.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Another Benedict clapped his hands and said excitedly, "Let's go!"

Benedict Wong's Chinese name is Huang Kaixuan, and in English, both "Wang" and "Huang" are translated as Wong.

His parents originally immigrated to the UK from Hong Kong Island. Although he grew up in the UK, he has also returned to Hong Kong Island with his parents to visit relatives many times and experienced the Spring Festival in Hong Kong Island. Now when he talks about this, he also misses this special festival a little.

There is nothing much to say. Under the leadership of Wu Yuan, the "Doctor Strange" crew, who had just put away their luggage, immediately left the hotel and went out to play.

Maybe I was really lucky, there was actually a lion dance event in Hong Kong Island today, and the lion dance team was specially invited from Guangdong Province.

This is something you may not necessarily see in mainland China. Wu Yuan rarely sees lion dancing in Beijing and mostly just sees it on TV.

The already crowded Central area became even more crowded after the lion dance team showed up.

The locals of Hong Kong Island, tourists from mainland China, and foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes were all attracted by the lion dance team in the middle of the road, watching them perform difficult juggling moves on wooden stakes.

A series of difficult movements, including leaping, occupying position, turning, pushing forward, hanging, clamping, sitting on the head and turning around, form a beautiful lion sculpture, showing the lion's bravery, fierceness, playfulness and liveliness.

Some of the more extroverted passers-by did not hesitate to praise and cheer loudly, making the atmosphere even more lively.

"Benedict, you guys are really lucky." Wu Yuan stared at the lion dance and said with emotion, "I rarely see such a scene."

Pairs of curious eyes looked back and forth at the dancing gorgeous lions. Several crew members gathered together and whispered, discussing the lion dance movements and exploring whether they could be recreated in the movie using special effects.

Or maybe this special form of art performance can be combined with film.

The head of the set design team took the initiative to suggest: "Director, maybe we can put lion dances as Easter eggs in the street battle scene on Hong Kong Island. It might be cool to have a few lion dances in the street background."

"That's a good suggestion." Wu Yuan nodded with a smile. Of course, he would like to see more Chinese elements in the movie.

"It's settled!" (End of this chapter)