Folk Beliefs and Customs

Ⅹ-85Folk CustomsMacao, ChinaBatch 3 (2011)Extension Item

01 · Historical Records

The origins of Macau's Drunken Dragon dance can be traced back to the wooden-dragon dance for expelling epidemics in Xiangshan County. The Bathing-the-Buddha Day ceremonies recorded in the local gazetteers of the Xiangshan area share the same seasonal sequence as the practices of the Macau fish trade around the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, indicating that this dance form first circulated in the towns and villages of the Pearl River estuary before entering Macau with the migration of the fishing population. The wooden dragon used in the street dance is of the same design as the small wooden dragon enshrined on the incense tables of restaurants, differing only in size and painted decoration according to the financial means of the guild; the craft of making them has always remained within the fish trade, passed down jointly by old artisans and the dancers.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

The Macau Fish Trade Drunken Dragon Festival is a folk traditional festival unique to the Macau Fresh Fish Trade, also known as the Macau Fish Trade Drunken Dragon and Awakening Lion Grand Assembly. It is held every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. The Drunken Dragon dance originated several hundred years ago in Xiangshan County, Guangdong Province (present-day Zhongshan, Zhuhai, and Macau). According to the Daoguang-era Gazetteer of Xiangshan County: "On the eighth day of the fourth month the Buddhists bathe the Buddha; the various temples carve and ornament wooden dragons, and the common people, with gongs, drums, and banners, dance drunkenly in the thoroughfares to expel epidemics; this is called 'turning the dragon' (zhuanlong)." Every year on the evening of the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, Macau residents engaged in wholesale or retail fishing trade gather at the wet market; regardless of status, everyone sits on the ground around tables and shares a meal, forming the tradition of eating the 'Dragon Boat Head Longevity Rice.' During the banquet, they dance with the wooden dragon on the incense table to pray for blessings. On the eighth day of the fourth month, the Drunken Dragon procession and the free distribution of Dragon Boat Head rice are the main activities of the festival. The Drunken Dragon dance and the Awakening Lion dance are the two main performance forms of the festival. The Drunken Dragon dance is a festive activity participated in by the entire Macau Fresh Fish Trade guild, planned and organized under the overall direction of successive boards of directors and supervisors.

Eating longevity rice on the seventh

On the seventh evening the whole trade eats longevity rice together in the market, each stall providing a share that is partly kept for the next day.

Dancing the wooden dragon on the altar

At the start of the feast a small wooden dragon is danced on the dining altar while guests eat, each household offering a bowl of wine first.

The drunken dragon procession on the eighth

Drunken dragons and lions parade together; dancers are plied with wine before performing so that they dance in a stupor.

The guild's coordination of the festival

The whole trade participates under the guild's past and present committees, each stall contributing labour and money by turn.

The old expelling of plague on the bathing day

A Zhangshan gazetteer describes wooden dragons carved at temple fairs for the bathing day, danced in the streets to drive off plague.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The Macau Fish Trade Drunken Dragon Festival is organized on the basis of the trade: the Fresh Fish Trade General Association coordinates the preparation and fundraising by successive board members, and all guild members participate regardless of the size of their stalls. The Dragon Boat Head Longevity Rice dinner of the seventh day of the fourth month is set up on open ground at the wet market, with guild members sitting around tables stall by stall. The Awakening Lion and Drunken Dragon go on procession on the same day, mostly circling the main streets of the city, with gongs and drums setting the rhythm at the front and back of the parade, and shops along the streets hanging colored decorations and putting up canopies several days in advance. In recent years, all sectors of Macau have participated widely, and the scale of the birthday celebration has expanded year by year along with donations from the guild and the community.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Nowadays, all sectors of Macau participate widely. The Macau Fish Trade Drunken Dragon Festival carries forward the 'dragon' spirit of the Chinese nation and expresses hopes and blessings for the prosperity of the motherland; it is of great significance for strengthening the cohesion of the Chinese nation and promoting unity and cooperation within the community and the trade. It also has research value for folklore studies and history. Zheng Quanguang (recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in March 1950, a native of the Macau Special Administrative Region. He has lived in Shishan since childhood, participated in birthday celebration activities, and holds deep reverence for Prince Nezha. In 1996 he reorganized the Board of the Nezha Ancient Temple in Shishan, Macau, and served as its executive chairman. He is responsible for planning and coordinating the processions of Prince Nezha of the Nezha Ancient Temple in Shishan, and has worked to promote the application of Macau Nezha beliefs for listing as a national-level intangible cultural heritage representative project. In terms of transmission and dissemination, he has frequently engaged in exchanges and communication with Nezha prince temples in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and various places abroad, in order to jointly promote Nezha belief culture. Representative inheritor of Folk Beliefs (Macau Nezha Beliefs), an item of the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage. He has actively cultivated successors, making the birthday celebration activities of the Nezha Ancient Temple in Shishan, Macau increasingly prosperous, and has had considerable influence on the transmission of Nezha beliefs in Macau. Ye Da (recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in February 1948, a native of the Macau Special Administrative Region. He grew up in Cilin Lane, where the St. Paul's Nezha Temple is located, and began participating in the birthday celebration activities held at the temple at the age of seven. Since 1989 he has been responsible for the affairs of the St. Paul's Nezha Temple, including its revival and restoration and the resumption of its birthday celebration activities. In 1992 he became president of the Board of the St. Paul's Nezha Temple, reformulating strategies for the cultural transmission and exchange visits of the St. Paul's Nezha belief, encouraging neighborhood believers to participate together, and strengthening ties with other community organizations. He has promoted Nezha beliefs through attending events, giving lectures, and television publicity. Representative inheritor of Folk Beliefs (Macau Nezha Beliefs), an item of the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage. He has led several dozen children and grandchildren to participate in Nezha belief activities, and through running Nezha belief transmission training classes has cultivated more inheritors for these activities.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

Wu Jishan 05-3019
Xu Shunwei 05-3020
Huang Guanghui 05-3021
Chen Jikun 05-3022
Sinapinchu 05-3023
Liu Shimei 05-3024
Zhang Qingming 05-3025
Zheng Quanguang 05-3026
Ye Da 05-3027
Li Yaohui
Luo Shengzong

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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