Original title: Close-up: A century-old "fire dragon" dances a new look Filled with burning incense sticks, waiting for the opportunity. With the sound of "dong clang, clang clang" gongs and drums, the fire dragon "rushed" out of the crowd from On Suk Pi Street with the combined

Original title:

Close-up: A century-old "Fire Dragon" dances a new look

Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong, September 16th The completed dragon is covered with burning incense sticks, waiting for the opportunity to move. With the sound of "dong clang, clang clang" gongs and drums, the fire dragon "rushed" out of the crowd from On Suk Pi Street with the combined efforts of about 300 team members. The scene was filled with cheers... In Tai Hang, Hong Kong, there is a tradition with a history of more than a hundred years The folklore activity "Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance" will be staged for three consecutive days starting from the 16th, adding a festive atmosphere to the whole city.

On September 16, a team of teenagers appeared dancing with small fire dragons lit by LED lights. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Wei

The dragon head weighing more than 60 kilograms shook and rotated majestically, and scenes such as "dragon wagging its tail" and "dragon wedding" were staged one after another. The giant dragon in the hands of the dragon dancer is covered with lit longevity incense, chasing the dragon beads and dancing, sometimes like a flying dragon in the sky, sometimes like a dragon entering the sea, roaring "swimming" into the next street. The long dragon rolled and jumped, constantly pushing the atmosphere to a climax.

Among the "leading group" composed of dozens of people, fourth-generation fire dragon dance performer Huang Haojie is also among them. In his opinion, every move of the fire dragon dance has its inheritance.

"When I was a child, I watched my family dance the fire dragon." Huang Haojie said, "Later, I became a performer through continuous practice." Now, he has begun to teach children the postures and techniques of the fire dragon dance. "I hope to use this in a more relaxed way." This skill is passed down."

This is the "Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance" performance filmed in Tai Hang, Hong Kong on September 16. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Wei

The fire dragon that has been dancing for a hundred years is not only a firewood passed down from generation to generation, but also an emotional bond that unites neighbors and folks. As early as half a month before the fire dragon dance event started, workers gathered at the Tai Hang Fong Community Welfare Association to prepare the fire dragons and lanterns for this year's performance. When talking about the fire dragon dance performance to reporters, they were all excited and gearing up.

Zhang Guohao, the general director of the "Dakeng Fire Dragon Dance" told reporters that even though many people have moved away from Dakeng, they will still come back every year to help. The older generation continues to shine as consultants and coaches, and young people continue to step up, just to protect and carry forward this precious tradition.

Nowadays, new talents in dragon dance are constantly emerging. At the performance site, a team of about a hundred teenagers danced a small fire dragon lit by about 10,000 LED lights, symbolizing the passing on of traditional customs from generation to generation. The big and small fire dragons "double dragons out" on Huansha Street, the crowd cheered and cheered, and the hot scene was even more charming against the moonlight.

“The intangible cultural heritage culture of Dakeng Fire Dragon Dance is still flourishing.” Zhang Guohao said, “Young people are curious and enthusiastic about learning Fire Dragon Dance. Their recognition of traditional culture makes me full of confidence in the future development of Fire Dragon Dance. ."

The winding and undulating fire dragons dance joyfully to the sound of gongs and drums, becoming a beautiful folk cultural landscape, attracting many citizens and tourists to "chasing the dragon". More than an hour later, the fire dragon parade ended and returned to Huansha Street to exchange incense. The dragon dancers distributed the burned incense sticks from the fire dragon to citizens and tourists to convey peace and happiness.

Ms. Chen, a citizen, has been waiting near Huansha Street for a long time. "Every year, I look forward to the fire dragon dance. I can watch the fire dragon dance and feel the fireworks in the world in the busy life." She said.

source: Xinhuanet