Dragon Dance

Ⅲ-4Traditional DanceYunmeng, HubeiBatch 3 (2011)Extension Item

01 · Historical Records

The three-section dragon is passed down around Wuluo Town, Yunmeng County. It is named for the fact that the dragon danced consists of three sections — head, body and tail — and dances together with dozens of drummers. Yunmeng lies at the northern edge of the Jianghan Plain, between the Yuan River and the Fu River; in ancient times it was the remains of the Yunmarsh lake district, a web of waterways where rice cultivation and fishing were the local mainstays of livelihood. In the past the performance of the three-section dragon was meant to pray for favourable wind and rain and for good fortune and peace, and it was therefore also called the “peace lantern”; the dragon came out mostly between the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival, with the village raising shares household by household and the leading household taking turns to organize the performance.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

In the past the performance of the three-section dragon was meant to pray for favourable wind and rain and for good fortune and peace, and it was therefore also called the “peace lantern.” In performance a group is formed by one old dragon and two small dragons. Each dragon is danced by three people taking the head, body and tail respectively; around the dragon is a jumping drum team of ninety-nine people dancing along with it, whose jumping drumbeats symbolize thunder, praying that the divine dragon will grant favourable wind and rain. “The dragon head bites its own tail,” dancing the dragon into a circle, is a movement characteristic peculiar to this dance. At times the dragon rolls on the ground, at times it leaps onto benches and stone rollers to perform. The movement of the dancer's upper body emphasizes roundness; both hands grip the handles close to the body, the upper and lower body form arcs, and the dancer repeatedly traces an “∞” shape, so that the movement turns without interruption and flows smoothly and continuously. Performance on benches and stone rollers is in particular extremely difficult, and requires skilled movements and close coordination among the dancers. The drummers hold a handled double-faced round drum in the left hand and drumsticks in the right, striking while jumping. In performance the emphasis is on jumping high and striking loud, and still more on roaring lustily. The three-section dragon integrates arts and crafts, music, dance and other folk arts into one, and is a programme of distinctive style within the tradition of dragon dance.

The dragon biting its own tail

The dance's unique figure: the dragon is danced into a closed circle, echoing the round formation of the ninety-nine drummers.

Dancing on benches and stone rollers

The hardest episodes, in which the dragon leaps onto benches and stone rollers, turning and circling on narrow, unstable supports.

The ninety-nine drummers

The mass component: ninety-nine dancers circle the dragon leaping and striking double-headed drums to imitate thunder.

The Taiping Lantern custom

Its name, the Taiping Lantern, comes from its prayers for timely weather and peace, danced between the New Year and the Lantern Festival.

The figure-eight upper-body rhythm

The upper-body rhythm: hands gripping the handle close to the body trace endless figure eights, giving the whole dance its roundness and flow.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The three-section dragon is passed down around Wuluo Town, Yunmeng County, and is named for the fact that the dragon danced consists of three sections — head, body and tail — and dances together with dozens of drummers.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

A group in the performance of the three-section dragon consists of one old dragon and two small dragons, each dragon being danced by three people taking the head, body and tail respectively; around the dragon is a jumping drum team of ninety-nine people dancing along with it, whose jumping drumbeats symbolize thunder and pray that the divine dragon will grant favourable wind and rain. The movement of the dancer's upper body emphasizes roundness; both hands grip the handles close to the body, the upper and lower body form arcs, and the dancer repeatedly traces an “∞” shape, so that the movement turns without interruption and flows smoothly and continuously; “the dragon head bites its own tail,” dancing the dragon into a circle, is a movement characteristic peculiar to this dance. At times the dragon rolls on the ground, at times it leaps onto benches and stone rollers to perform, and performance on benches and stone rollers is especially the most difficult, requiring skilled movements and close coordination among the dancers. The drummers hold a handled double-faced round drum in the left hand and drumsticks in the right, striking while jumping, with the emphasis on jumping high and striking loud, and still more on roaring lustily.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

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

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Dragon Dance (Yunmeng, Hubei) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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