The Kaohsiung Incident of 1979 threw a political chill over Taiwan. Alarmed Nationalist authorities took every opportunity to crack down on meetings and organized groups of almost any description. They moved with special diligence against homegrown lion dance troupes, as these were very "Taiwanese" and combative by nature.
獅藝黑暗期 1979 年國內發生「美麗島事件」，風聲鶴唳中，國府當局藉故掃蕩各種集會結社行為，本土性強又質樸剽悍的台灣獅團更是取締目標。