Dragon Dance

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

Applicant: Chengbu Miao 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: Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Hunan Province

Protection unit: cultural center of Chengbu Miao Autonomous County

Introduction to Dragon Dance

Applicant: Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Hunan Province

Diaolong, which is popular in xiatuan village, Dankou Town, Chengbu County, Hunan Province, is a unique method of making props and performing dragon dance. First, several long and short bamboo pole and red rope are used to make "small hanging" and "middle hanging" respectively, then the small hanging is hung on the middle hanging, the Dragon Festival mounted with bamboo strips is hung on the small hanging, and then a long horizontal pole and a 2-meter-high bamboo pole are used to make "big lifting" to hang it Six groups were made. During the dance, the dragon head and Dragon Festival are joined together. Each dancer holds up a bamboo pole and is led by the Dragon Ball dancer under the accompaniment of percussion music. It's like a "dragon" circling in the clouds. The scene is spectacular.

During the Spring Festival or major festive activities, Jiudong 48 village in Miao township of Chengbu County hopes for good weather and bumper harvest in the form of dragon lantern dance, and distinguishes the color and image of dragon lantern from East, South, West, North and center. If there are grand festive activities or bumper harvests in successive years, there are also some villages dancing "Five Dragons presenting auspiciousness", but it must be determined according to the five colors of the village. Xiatuan village in Dankou town is a Western Village (Dankou Town, changanying township), which is dominated by dancing dragon (also known as "Golden Dragon" locally).

Every time a dragon dance is held in xiatuan village of Dankou Town, special attention is paid to etiquette. Whenever the dragon dance team goes to the village entrance, gate and hall, a ceremony for inviting, receiving and congratulating the dragon is held. The welcoming party sets up a table for offering incense table, offering the Dragon tablet and three animals of fruit. The dragon dancers and the welcoming group kneel and knock three times in front of the incense table. Then the dragon dance party sends a congratulatory message and the Dragon receiving party answers the ceremony. In the two sides' congratulation and reply, the Miao people's "kuanci" was used to praise the dragon and ancestors, and the time, location and harmony were praised in the form of poetry. The two sides encouraged each other, warm and harmonious, which not only highlighted the etiquette style of the Miao people, but also revealed the rich national cultural heritage.

At present, the old artists who master dragon making and performance skills in xiatuan village of Chengbu County have entered the age of rarity. Although the young and middle-aged people in the village like to watch dragon dancing, they are not willing to learn dragon making and dragon dancing skills. The inheritance of dragon dancing in Chengbu County is not optimistic.