Photo Assignment : Zhoujia Troupes Founders Praying Ceremony

Zhou Jia (Zhou Family) style is a southern style of Chinese Kungfu. It has often been referred to as Hong Tou Cai Wei which literally translates to ?head of Hong and tail of Cai.? This is because its founder Zhou Long had combined the two famous kong fu styles: Hong style and Cai Li Fo style, into his own style Zhou Jia Style.

ZhouJia Fist ? the kungfu branch of the style is well-known for its deep stance and fast footwork while ZhouJia Lion Dance - the lion dance branch of the style has aggressive lion expressions and a quick tempo drum beat. The Zhou Jia Style was spread to Singapore in the 1960s. Today several pugilistic associations continue to practice the Zhou Jia Lion Dance form. Every year during the Qing Ming festival, these troupes will gather at the Phor Kar See Temple at Bright Hill Drive to pay respects to its founding teachers.

This is also the time these troupes display their skills in the art form. The light drizzle that day did not dampen the troupes members? spirit. The various troupes with their lions, drum carts first dashed up the slope to go up to the main hall of the temple. Next they lined up at the make-shift altar to pay respect. After three bows, they started to do a mass display of the Zhou Style basic routine - 36 Hands.

It allowed them to showcase what the founders has passed down through the generations. Again to showcase the skills of lion drums, the troupes proceeded on with a heart thumping display of lion dance drumming. The last segment was for the troupes to perform a short lion dance each before proceeding to the altar to kow-tow. The lions or rather their dancers knelt down and bowed three times. All in memories for the art their founder and grandmasters had passed down.