The Lion Drummer

Lulu, a young Chinese girl, is very musical. She knows that everything in life has its own particular rhythm, its own song, and in spite of her parents’ objections (for the family lives in a small flat), she longs to learn how to play the drums. When she goes with her family to a Chinese New Year parade, she realises that what she wants more than anything else is to be a lion drummer. Touching the dragon, Da Long, for luck, she makes a heartfelt wish that her dream will come true. Lulu finds out that drumming lessons are available at a local gongfu academy, and her talent and determination are soon recognised by Master Li, the greatest lion drummer of all. Not all is smooth sailing, though, for Lulu must face the restrictions imposed by the ‘old ways’. Everything is governed by tradition, and one of the strongest traditions of all is that the lion drummer must be male. But Lulu is undaunted, and her reward is to take part in the Easter Parade with Master Li.