IN a unique show of festive cheer, a lion dance troupe was brought to several predominantly Malay villages in Muar, Johor, for Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
The Kun Seng Keng Lion And Dragon Dance Association visited more than 50 Malay households in two villages in Muar to join the celebration, Sin Chew Daily reported.
The troupe, which consisted of 16 performers, aged between 16 and 22, brought along two green lions to perform to match the colour commonly associated with Hari Raya.
Troupe coach Zhong Guo Fu said he received a lot of questions from residents about the lion dance and assured them that it was a cultural performance that had nothing to do with religion or religious rites.
He said this was a great start for them as out of the 50 households they visited, eight invited them to perform inside.
The coach was also optimistic that this could help promote the sharing of culture across different ethnic groups in Malaysia.
“Lion dance is a crucial part of Chinese New Year.
“However, we hope to break the mould and offer it as a performance to celebrate other festivals as well,” he said, adding that the troupe was now considering organising a similar event for Deepavali.
> More than 300 residents in Chongqing, China, ended up in the emergency room for asthma after lightning struck the city more than 6,000 times in one night last Friday, China Press reported.
Local media reported that hospitals were flooded with 310 patients experiencing asthma attacks within just four hours.
One of the patients, a woman with the surname He, started coughing profusely and had difficulty breathing when the weather changed on Friday.
She was rushed to hospital and had to stay overnight until her condition improved.
According to Dr Zhao Lin, the deputy director of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Chongqing Medical University, the case is commonly known as thunderstorm asthma.
It usually occurs during spring when strong winds carry pollen and fungi into the air before rain droplets crash into them, causing them to break into tiny particles.
The particles can then get further and deeper into the human lungs and trigger asthma, he said.
Dr Zhao added that of those who sought medical attention for asthma following the thunderstorm, most of them likely suffered from hayfever.
He warned those with a sensitive respiratory system to shut their doors and windows to prevent pollen from entering their houses.
Those who experience mild symptoms could consume antihistamines, but he urged those with more serious symptoms to seek medical attention immediately.
