"This Is One Malaysia" — Lion Dancers Perform At A Chariot During Thaipusam Festivities
"You can only witness such unity in Malaysia."
One of the coolest facets of being Malaysian is the infusion of multiple cultures in one country — more festivities, more celebrations, and more ceremonies to commemorate our innate diversity
With the conclusion of the 2023 Chinese New Year celebration just two weeks ago, Malaysians gathered together once again to show reverence for the Tamil-Hindu festival, Thaipusam, on Sunday, 5 January.
On TikTok, one Malaysian who was taking part in the festivities at Lebuh Ampang, Raja (@rajaratnamsabaratnam), captured a moment that can only be described as cultural beauty.
In the two-minute feature taken on the eve of Thaipusam, lion dancers can be seen performing at the foot of a chariot enshrining a Hindu god. Executing their dance with sheer skill, the blend of gongs and drums with Indian music can be heard throughout the audio of the clip.
The video ends with a few onlookers placing a garland of flowers over the statue that is inside the chariot.
Going viral on the platform, the TikTok has since garnered over 175,000 views and about 10,000 likes thus far
People flooded to comments with praise over the diversity seen in the video for the Thaipusam festival.
"This is what it means to be One Malaysia," wrote one user, while another said how nice it was to witness people of different religions respect one another in the nation.
Image via @rajaratnamsabaratnam2 (TikTok)
Image via @rajaratnamsabaratnam2 (TikTok)
One user, however, pointed out that this year was unique, as the celebration of Thaipusam happened to fall on the same day with another Chinese holiday, Chap Goh Mei.
Known to many as the Chinese version of Valentine's Day, Chap Goh Mei itself means the 15th night of Chinese New Year in the Hokkien dialect. For people in Chinese culture, Chap Goh Mei is revered in a similar way to the eve of Chinese New Year, celebrated with joy and cheer — most likely why the lion dancers were out performing.
"This is the true Malaysia, multi-ethnic and rich in culture!" wrote one user.
Image via @rajaratnamsabaratnam2 (TikTok)
Image via @rajaratnamsabaratnam2 (TikTok)
One person even wrote how the spectacle was amazing to see and that it enhances Malaysia's inherent beauty.
"You can only witness such unity in Malaysia."
Image via @rajaratnamsabaratnam2 (TikTok)
From one cultural celebration to the next, there's no denying how this moment epitomises the charm of Malaysia.
Watch the full TikTok below:
These lion dancers grooved out to modern tracks for their performance, including songs from LMFAO, BLACKPINK, and the Squid Game theme song:
In Sydney, a couple of lion dancers used jet packs and performed across a harbour in style:
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