Grand openings
Lion Dance for Grand Openings Across the D.C. Metro Area
The lion at the door is the oldest opening-day tradition in Chinese business culture. We have blessed restaurants, shops, offices and clinics across the Washington area since the 1970s, and we still bring the lettuce.
Why a lion dance for a grand opening?
A grand-opening lion dance is a blessing on the business: the lion chases away bad luck, welcomes customers and eats the greens hung at the door to bring prosperity to everyone inside. It is also the most effective way to draw a crowd to a new storefront. The drum can be heard down the block, passers-by stop to watch, and the photographs and video from the day become the business’s first marketing. Restaurant owners, franchisees, clinics, salons, real-estate offices and supermarkets across the DMV have opened with our lions.
We perform for openings on Rockville Pike, in Wheaton and Silver Spring, in D.C.’s Chinatown and across Northern Virginia’s shopping centers, as well as for anniversaries, relocations, renovations and ribbon cuttings, which follow the same tradition.
What happens at a grand-opening lion dance?
Most opening performances begin outside. The drum starts, the lion wakes, bows to the owner and the guests and dances at the entrance while the crowd gathers. The lion then finds the lettuce and red envelope hung above the door, approaches warily, tests it, and finally eats the greens and scatters the leaves across the threshold to spread good fortune. Many owners then invite the lion inside to visit the dining room, the kitchen, the register and the staff, blessing each part of the business. The lion bows to the owner and departs to the drum. The whole performance usually takes 15 to 20 minutes; a two-lion performance, or one that includes a kung fu demonstration from our school, runs longer.
What the host prepares
- Lettuce and a red envelope, hung above the entrance or held by the owner. We can bring the lettuce if you prefer; the envelope is traditionally the host’s gift to the lion.
- A clear space at the door and a path inside if the lion will visit the interior. Sidewalk performances may need the landlord’s or the city’s permission, which the host arranges.
- A start time that matches when your guests, press or local officials will be there. We arrive early and begin on your cue.
- Firecrackers, if permitted in your jurisdiction, are traditionally set off after the blessing. Check local rules; many DMV jurisdictions prohibit them, and the dance is complete without them.
Pricing
Grand-opening performances are quoted individually based on date, distance and the number of lions. Weekday openings are often easier to schedule than weekends, and Lunar New Year season is the busiest time of year. Contact us for a quote.
Where we perform grand-opening lion dances
Our school is in Kensington, Maryland, so openings in Rockville, Silver Spring and Wheaton and Bethesda are a short drive. We also open businesses throughout Washington, D.C., Arlington and Fairfax County.
The detail on a traditional Southern lion head 
Archive: the lion in front of the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. 
The lion working the room, percussion behind
What is choy cheng, the lettuce blessing?
Choy cheng ('plucking the greens') is the ceremonial high point of a Southern lion dance: the lion approaches a head of lettuce hung at the entrance, 'eats' it, and scatters the leaves to spread prosperity to the business or household. The Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like the word for growing wealth, which is why the lettuce is used.
For a grand opening the lettuce is usually hung above the door with a red envelope. For weddings the lion may present a scroll or the greens to the couple. We bring what is needed and explain the sequence to the host beforehand so the moment is captured on camera.
What is the red envelope for?
The red envelope, or hong bao, is a traditional gift of good luck offered to the lion during the performance. The lion 'eats' the envelope along with the lettuce during the choy cheng blessing, and the gift symbolizes the host's generosity and the good fortune returned to them.
Hosts often tie a red envelope to the lettuce hung at the entrance, and guests sometimes offer envelopes to the lion as it greets them. The amount is at the host's discretion. The envelope is a customary gesture and is separate from the performance fee.
How much space does a lion dance need?
A single lion needs a clear area roughly the size of a small room, about 15 by 15 feet, plus a path to enter and move among guests. Two lions need proportionally more. Ceilings should clear the lion's head when the performer at the front lifts it overhead, so about ten feet is comfortable.
Restaurants, lobbies, ballrooms, sidewalks and plazas all work. We also perform in tighter rooms by adapting the choreography. Tell us about the venue when you book and we will plan the routine for it.
How much does a lion dance performance cost?
Pricing depends on the date, location, number of lions and length of the program, so we quote each event individually. Contact us with your date, venue and the occasion and we will send a quote, usually the same or next business day.
Lunar New Year dates, events far from Kensington, multi-lion programs and combined lion dance and kung fu demonstrations are priced differently from a standard single-lion blessing. Tell us everything you have in mind and we will recommend the option that fits your event and budget.
Service area
Where we perform grand opening lion dances
We travel throughout the D.C. metro area from our school in Kensington, Maryland. These are some of the places we perform most often for this kind of event.
Book the team
Ready to book a lion dance?
Tell us your date, venue and occasion and we will reply with availability and a quote.