The Shenyun Dragon and Lion Art Troupe of Cangxian County was performing. "Look, these young men coordinate so seamlessly — they've practically brought this lion to life!" "No wonder it's a national-level intangible cultural heritage item — it's truly breathtaking!" Recently, in front of the Huabei Commercial Building City Plaza store, colored flags fluttered and the atmosphere was festive and lively, as the Shenyun Dragon and Lion Art Troupe of Cangxian County performed the national-level intangible cultural heritage item Cangxian Lion Dance, drawing crowds of local residents to watch.

With National Day approaching, the festive atmosphere across the Lion City is growing ever stronger. In recent days, more than 60 lion dance art troupes in the city have received a large number of performance invitations one after another, and many troupes had their National Day performance schedules fully booked well in advance. "By our rough count, during the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays our team has received nearly a hundred performance invitations. During the National Day holiday alone, we average more than ten shows a day," said Liu Wenqi, head of the Shenyun Dragon and Lion Art Troupe of Cangxian County, whose performances have been coming one after another, with team members frequently appearing at major commercial districts in the urban area as well as scenic spots such as Nanchuan Old Street and Cangzhou Garden Expo Park. During the National Day period, besides performing in the Cangzhou area, they have also received invitations from clients in Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Guangdong and other places, he said. "The team currently has more than 40 members, and since the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone has been performing at 'full capacity' every day."

"During the National Day period, there are many performance venues and密集 shows, which tests not only everyone's physical stamina but also the team's chemistry and skill." The Tianshi Lion Dance Troupe from Dulin Town, Cangxian County, began preparing before the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to Yang Qian, head of the troupe, since the beginning of this year the team has received more than 300 performance orders, with performance locations including not only Cangzhou but also Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and other places. Before National Day, the Tianshi Lion Dance Troupe often conducted intensive training, repeatedly refining details, honing coordination and practicing transitions, carrying out all-round optimization of performance routes, interactive segments and rhythm control, striving to make every performance precise, smooth and spectacular. "With so many out-of-town visitors, this is a perfect opportunity for us to showcase Cangzhou lion dance and promote the city's culture," Yang Qian said.

Days of hard preparation are all for a brilliant bloom. According to a relevant person in charge of the Cangzhou Dragon and Lion Sports Association, during the National Day holiday, Cangzhou lion dance performances will appear at key scenic spots in the urban area, distinctive commercial streets and multiple county-level cultural tourism highlight locations, and some outstanding teams will also be invited to perform elsewhere. Team members will devote themselves to the performances in their best form, conveying good wishes and letting more people appreciate the unique charm of traditional folk customs.