Dragon Dance

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

Applicant: Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province

Item No.: 107

Project No.: Ⅲ - 4

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Hunan Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province

Protection unit: cultural center of Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County

Introduction to Dragon Dance (Zhijiang evil dragon)

Applicant: Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province

The traditional folk dance "evil dragon" (also known as "bad dragon" or "snake dragon") is performed by two people in fujiatuan village, Tuqiao Township, Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province. During the performance, one hand held the props with the shape of dragon head and snake made of paper, while the other held a dragon ball made of paper in both hands, whirling and dancing with percussion music. In the past, every Lantern Festival, people would go from village to family to perform on the Heping of each house.

This kind of dragon dance originated from the local folklore about "evil dragon": the dragon was originally the Dragon King of the South China Sea, and his temperament was very fierce. If he was angry, he would turn the river and the sea. But it is kind-hearted, never damage crops, and often drive evil for the local people, so people respect it very much. In order to express gratitude, evil dragons are performed in every village during the Lantern Festival to frighten evil spirits and pray for good harvest.

This kind of traditional folk dance, which has been handed down for more than a hundred years, has developed into a kind of folk dance art with perfect form, considerable performance skills and romantic color after continuous processing and transformation by local folk artists, and is deeply loved by the people of Dong village.

From props production to dance performance, the evil dragon in Zhijiang has distinct regional cultural characteristics, and it is also a case study of the local Dong traditional culture.

At present, with the death of the old generation of folk artists, and a large number of local young people going out to do business and work, the traditional dance Zhijiang evil dragon is facing the danger of lack of successors.