Dragon Dance (Earth Dragon Lantern)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Dragon Dance (Earth Dragon Lantern)

Applicant: Laifeng County, Hubei Province

Item No.: 107

Project No.: Ⅲ - 4

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Hubei Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Laifeng County, Hubei Province

Protection unit: Laifeng County Cultural Center

Introduction to Dragon Dance (Earth Dragon Lantern)

Applicant: Laifeng County, Hubei Province

The earth dragon lantern is a unique folk lantern dance of Tujia people. It is popular in two neighboring Tujia villages, dayanban and bansha, in Laifeng County, the hinterland of Wuling Mountain.

During the Spring Festival and the "mid Dragon Boat Festival" on May 15, the dragon lantern dance teams from the two villages visit villages and dance in four townships, which are deeply loved by the masses. According to Li Ying, an old artist, playing with the Earth Dragon Lantern originated from the legend of Xiang Yu, the overlord of Chu, that "the dragon gives birth to the tiger and raises the Phoenix for shade". His family played with the earth dragon lantern for four or five generations, and it has a history of about 300 years.

There are 12 dance routines and movements of the earth dragon lantern, which are difficult to perform, highly expressive and ornamental, and unique in dance method. Most folk dragon dances use wooden sticks to hold the dragon, while the Earth Dragon shows do not use wooden sticks. Nine actors hide in the dragon's clothing and grab their predecessors' belts one by one. All of them rely on the feeling and tacit cooperation to make the dragon dance. There is a local proverb: "Badi is like a real dragon walking on a shuttle." Another unique feature is that the dragon, Phoenix and tiger dance together, followed by fish, shrimp and turtle dance, and the animals of heaven, earth and sea perform together.

The Earth Dragon Lantern integrates dragon, Phoenix and tiger, which has strong ornamental and profound cultural connotation. At the same time, it also has the social function of activating mass culture and promoting the harmony of villages and ethnic groups.