History
Australia Zhong Hua Qun Yi Lion Dance Association (澳洲中華群義會) is a community lion dance and martial arts team based in Melbourne, Australia.
Formed in 1993, Peter Wong (黃德華山) established Melbourne Kuan Yee Lion Dance Association with the support of his friends from Vietnam, Hong Kong and China who had also migrated to Melbourne. The aim was to promote fitness and educate future generations on Chinese traditions and culture. With a broader vision in mind, the team’s name was later changed to Australia Zhong Hua Qun Yi Lion Dance Association. This change was made to accommodate future opportunities to establish interstate teams.
The name was created with the combination of 群 (Qun) which means group or the gathering and 義(Yi) which represents righteousness and justice.
Together, they form the values which the team was built upon. A group that promoted inclusiveness and understood the importance of being able to fight for what we believe.
Today, Qun Yi continues to perform all year round for various celebrations including:
- Weddings
- Corporate events and functions
- Festivals
- Multicultural events
- Grand opening of new businesses
- Chinese New Year festivities
Timeline
During his time in the refugee camps in Thailand, Peter Wong (黃德華山) established his first lion dance team to promote fitness and community participation.
The name Zhong Thai (中泰) represents China and Thailand.
In 1993, the Melbourne Chinese Kuan Yee Lion Dance Association was formed in Melbourne with the support of the Local Government and Chinese Embassy
Official registration of business name: Melbourne Kuan Yee Lion Dance Association
With a vision to eventually expand the team, the name was changed to Australia Zhong Hua Qun Yi Lion Dance Association.
Replacing “Melbourne” with Australia (National) and “Chinese” with Zhong Hua (中華). The words Zhong Hua is another way of referring to the country of China, however includes all Chinese people regardless of citizenship or place of birth.
1986 – Zhong Thai Lion Dance (Thailand Refugee Camp)
1993 – Performance
1998 – Opening of Bright Moon Buddhist Temple Springvale