Dancing Dragon: repel pests and pray for peace and prosperity

    Among many traditional villages in Baiyun District, the large-scale fire dragon dance activities in Qinghu Village of Junhe Street are particularly noticeable. "Fire Dragon Dance" also has four designated actions: "Dragon Rising", "Water Collection", "Dragon Traveling" and "Dragon Returning to the Sea" in the Mid-Autumn Festival Fire Dragon Dance.

    Speaking of the fire dragon dancing activities in Baiyun District, in recent years, it is very lively. The villagers of Qinghu Village, Xiameao Village, Jiangcun Village and other villages have celebrated the traditional customs as grand festival ceremonies. Among them, it is famous for its dragon village.

    Li Yexian, a village cadre in Qinghu Village, Junhe Street, told reporters that it was said that the fire dragon dance in Baiyun District originated in the Xianfeng Year of the Qing Dynasty. At that time, rice was planted in a large area of Qinghu Village, which coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival when pests overflowed. In order to drive out pests, villagers burned torches in the fields and found that pests were greatly reduced. Since then, the way of burning torches in the field has gradually evolved into a lively dragon dance. Later, villagers held more dragon sacrifice ceremonies in front of the Dragon dance, praying for good weather, peace and prosperity in Cathay, Thailand, and grain.

    According to Yige, a craftsman who participated in the production of the dragon, after the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner, the villagers raised the dragon in the evening, commonly known as "Qilong". Then they lifted the dragon to the village pond and put the tap out of the gushing edge, meaning "picking water". After "picking water", they lit firecrackers and returned to the ancestral hall for the dragon worship ceremony, then set off fireworks, and began the evening. The most important opera is "Fire Dragon Dance" which means "Dragon Tour" and "Dragon Return to the Sea" after the completion of the ceremony - the fire dragon is thrown near the river.

    Reporters learned that villagers are still adding new elements to the unique traditional folk activities of "Fire Dragon Dance". According to Jianshu, the craftsman of the faucet production, the new faucet is still an "electronic product". The longan has green flashing light. The faucet is made of aluminium sheets. The faucet opens and closes automatically every 8 seconds, making it lifelike.

    At present, the Mid-Autumn Festival of Fire Dragon Dance in Baiyun District has been listed as the intangible cultural heritage of Guangzhou, and the Fire Dragon Cultural Festival is held every year. The academic seminar of "Fire Dragon Culture with a long history is not a legacy of Baiyun" was also established. Experts from universities and Baiyun District jointly explored the emergence and development of "Fire Dragon Dance" folklore.

    In Chongqing Tongliang Qicai Dream Garden, two long dragons roll and jump in the splashing sparks and silver flowers, cheering constantly on the spot, and the viewers are addicted to it. In celebration of the Spring Festival, Tongliang Fire Dragon, Chongqing's intangible cultural heritage, fully demonstrated the whole process of the performance and offered a sparkling visual feast for the citizens.

    During the fire dragon performance, the hot metal master shouted loudly, threw his hand and hit again. A ladle of hot metal flew over 10 meters above the sky, like red fireworks blooming in the air. The Bare-Armed dragon dancers are wild and vigorous, smart and elegant, and they blend perfectly with people, dragons and fires. It is reported that Tongliang is the "dragon dance town of China", where people from generation to generation Zhalong dragon dance. Here the Dragon represents joy and auspiciousness, symbolizing unity and struggle.