In the heart of Foshan, an ancient tradition is preserved and promoted by the local community; the iconic lion dance. Last week on Wednesday, October 10th at the HEA store in Foshan’s Nova Mall, an event took place to support this ancient art.

HEA – Happy Easy Anyway is a local design brand that focuses on apparel and uses a lion’s head as inspiration for the design of all its products. HEA designer’s brand mark is the lion dance character because of its uniqueness and its deep relation with the Lingnan culture that originated in Foshan.

HEA partnered up with the China Chapter of The Coca-Cola Collectors Club to create a temporary ad hoc exhibition along with a limited edition of HEA X Coca-Cola t-shirts. Inside the HEA store over 300 Coca-Cola items, from bottles, to mini fridges and memorabilia were wisely displayed matching some of the extraordinary lion dance costumes permanently exposed in the shop.

The event hosted in the HEA store saw a wide presence of both local and foreign crowds. All the guests welcomed this one-time initiative and were eager to learn more about this special crossover while discovering the lion dance history and performance features. Mr. Felix, HEA’s main designer, anchored the event and presented the Coca-Cola Collectors Club and HEA cooperation. During his speech, Mr. Felix pointed out the common ground of these two famous brands; their willingness to cooperate with different cultures.

“Lion dance and Coca-Cola come from two completely opposite cultural backgrounds, and yet have something in common; the willingness to reach out and collaborate with different cultures. As a western-based pop culture icon, Coca-Cola often implements traditional Chinese designs for its special edition packages in the Middle Kingdom. In the same way, to promote a traditional Chinese cultural element both in China and abroad, we need to implement modern elements to allow people from all backgrounds and ages to appreciate the lion dance.”

By taking this into consideration, HEA announced the upcoming opening of a museum dedicated to the lion dance. The museum will be located in Foshan’s popular Lingnnan Tiandi, near the Zumiao temple, and will serve as a tourist attraction as well as a place to celebrate the traditional culture of the city.

Foshan Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) supported this initial event by inviting local and foreign guests to attend this first event which is a prelude to the museum’s grand opening. FIPA encourages local and foreign investments in the city of Foshan and the unique culture of Foshan is one of the aspects how Foshan distinguishes itself from other cities in China.

（Federica）