Dragon Dance (lotus pond yarn dragon)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Dragon Dance

Applicant: Pengjiang district, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province

Item No.: 107

Project No.: Ⅲ - 4

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Guangdong Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Pengjiang district, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province

Protected by: cultural and sports service center, Hetang Town, Pengjiang district, Jiangmen City

Introduction to Dragon Dance (lotus pond yarn dragon)

Applicant: Pengjiang district, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province

Dragon dance, also known as "Dragon Dance", is the most widely distributed and far-reaching folk dance in China. This kind of dance has various forms of expression, and the styles of dragon dance in different nationalities and regions are quite different.

According to the shape of the dragon, there are many forms of dragon dance, such as cloth dragon, yarn dragon, paper dragon, grass dragon, Qian dragon, bamboo dragon, brown dragon, bench dragon, shutter dragon, lotus dragon, fire dragon, chicken feather dragon, meat dragon and so on. Different forms of dragon have different dance styles and techniques. The traditional performance procedure of Chinese dragon dance is generally composed of "invite the dragon", "leave the dragon", "dance the dragon" and "send the dragon". Dragon dance is an important part of the spirit and cultural heritage of the Chinese nation.

Hetang Town, Pengjiang district, located in the northeast of Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, is a Jiangxin Island in the downstream of the main channel of Xijiang River. There are more than 43000 permanent residents here, and nearly 40000 overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are scattered abroad. Hetang yarn dragon originated in huangwan village of Hetang Town. Li tangzuo, a famous poet of huangwan in Ming Dynasty, imitated Sichuan color dragon to make yarn dragon lantern on the basis of local grass and dragon. After long-term development, it has been continuously improved and passed down to now.

Hetang yarn dragon is more than 50 meters long, with bamboo strips, wood and other materials as the skeleton, gauze as the dragon clothing, colorful cloth paste as the dragon scale, and four thick ropes connecting the head, body and tail. Generally, the dragon head is tied first, then the dragon tail, dragon ball, carp and dragon body are tied, and finally the Dragon cloth is put on. When dancing at night, the dragon body should be equipped with a special windproof candle. Hetang yarn dragon has excellent material, exquisite technology and both shape and spirit. There are two forms of Dragon Dance: plane form and three-dimensional form. The plane form adopts the posture of marching route, while the three-dimensional form adopts the skillful form of dragon dance. It takes more than an hour to perform the whole set of yarn dragon dance. There are more than 20 kinds of dance steps, with various styles. Difficult movements are frequent and repeated. The candle in the dragon body never goes out. There are 26 dragon dancers in each round. When the relay turns, the dragon dance does not stop and does not disturb the formation, which is a unique skill.

Hetang sarong has a strong local characteristics of Guangdong, which is an important link to promote social harmony and strengthen the cultural identity of overseas Chinese. In recent years, Hetang sarong has been declining and its inheritance is weak, so it is in urgent need of protection.