The sound of gongs rang out, and the actors on stage instantly stood upright. Before long, two lions, one yellow and one black, accompanied by fine drumming, began to play under the guidance of "Ji Gong". The drums and gongs resound in unison, sometimes small and rapid, sometimes high and wide. With the change of rhythm, the two lions either rejoice passionately or hang their heads to gather energy. At the halftime performance of the "Humanistic Bay Area and Smart Bay Area" forum of the 2025 Cultural Power Construction Summit, the stunning appearance of the Songgang Seven Star Lion allowed attendees to feel the vibrant pulse of the Bay Area's folk culture. The the Pearl River surges, and its culture is deeply rooted. The Songgang Seven Star Lion originated in Songgang, Shenzhen, Guangdong. The footwork system of the Songgang Seven Star Lion is precise and meticulous, with various forms such as "Liuma Step" and "Biao Step". In terms of attire, the Songgang Seven Star Lion is often dressed in yellow, red, and black. Yellow represents Liu Bei, red represents Guan Yu, and black represents Zhang Fei. All three of them have the spirit of justice, just like the patriotic spirit promoted by our ancestor Wen Tianxiang, "said Yan Sen, the second-generation inheritor of the Songgang Seven Star Lion. In 1945, to celebrate the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Wen Yansen's father established the "Heqing Society" to celebrate peace and victory through lion dance. That year, Wen Yansen was only an 8-year-old child. By chance, he saw his father and brother practicing lion dance, and he was attracted by this powerful art. From then on, he formed an inexplicable relationship with lion dance. When I was young, I had to go to work every day. Walking on the road, I couldn't help but practice my footwork. The neighbors and passersby saw it and laughed at me for being fascinated, "Wen Yansen said with a smile. Relying on his sincere love for the Seven Star Lion in his heart, Wen Yansen devoted his entire life to studying lion dance and teaching apprentices. Wherever there are Chinese people, there is lion dance. "Wen Yansen taught more than 3000 disciples throughout his life, not only in the Greater Bay Area, but also in North America and Europe. Time flows and inheritance never ceases. Wen Zheng'er is the youngest daughter of Wen Yansen, who firmly chose the latter between her comfortable job in Hong Kong and her non genetic heritage. She resolutely quit her job and returned to Shenzhen to take over her father's mantle, becoming the third generation descendant of the Songgang Seven Star Lion. She still remembers the naive imitation of using pot lids as gongs and chopsticks as hammers in her childhood, and the seeds of inheritance were already planted at that time. As her father grew older, the responsibility of inheriting the Seven Star Lion began to fall on her shoulders. We have a responsibility to inherit the Seven Star Lion well, "she said. In 2011, the Songgang Seven Star Lion Dance was officially included in the third batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. In 2012, Songgang Seven Star Lion became the first batch of "Intangible Cultural Heritage into Campus" projects. Nowadays, Wen Yansen and his daughter not only teach the Seven Star Lion in the community every week, but also go to the campus to dance lions with students. The Seven Star Lion combines elements of martial arts, music, dance, as well as literature and history. This form of intangible cultural heritage that combines education with entertainment is deeply loved by children. In Wen Zheng'er's view, the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area has a common cultural gene, and the lion dance, which is deeply loved by various regions, is more like a glue for the integration and development of each other. Nowadays, the development of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area is getting better and better, and we believe that the Songgang Seven Star Lion will also have a better future, "Wen Zheng'er told reporters. (New Society)