龙腾虎跃:舞龙历史知多少?

今年是虎年，常见的吉祥话是“龙腾虎跃”，舞龙在这个春节越发显得必不可少了。龙在中国可谓力量、吉祥、智慧、长寿的象征，可是舞龙的历史渊源和具体安排大家又知道多少呢？今天我们透过铜梁舞龙来了解一下吧！

"The dragon is the mixture of tokens from different tribes in ancient China. It has horns of a stag, eyes of a demon, scales of fish, claws of an eagle, footpads of a tiger, ears of a bull and whiskers of a cat. The dragon is probably one of the most important tokens in Chinese culture, because it stands for power and unification."

That is Wang Jianzhong, folk custom scholar, speaking about the importance of dragons in Chinese culture.

Chinese consider dragons to be friendly and helpful creatures. The dragon is often associated with strength, good fortune, wisdom and longevity. Legend has it these creatures live in every water body, including rain.

Dragon dances are most spectacular when performed during Chinese New Year. Today we'll take you for a tour of dragon dances in Tong Liang County in Sichuan Province. The Big Worm Dragon Dance and Fire Dragon Dance are most well known in Tong Liang.

The Dragon's robe, which cloaks the dancer, has three tiers. Starting from top down, golden yellow represents the earth , fiery red stands for heaven, and ocean blue for the sea. The body of Tong Liang Big Worm Dragon comprises 24 sections, symbolizing the 24 solar terms of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Altogether, there are some 20 repertoires in the Big Worm Dance closely linked with Chinese folk culture.

Yu Deqiang, Deputy Director of Tong Liang Dragon Culture study Commission, has this to say.

"Dragon out of Cave" marks the beginning of the spring, the time when the dragon rises to the sky, collecting the cloud and spreading the rain. At the same time, people in the earthly world also start plowing the land. So begins the new year; "Showing the whiskers" is a gesture to show politeness. "Nodding the Head" means a new start. Since everything is back to life in the spring, it's time to work. And finally, "Pay Respect to All" is to show friendless to people you meet."

Another fascinating sight in Tong Liang is the fire dragon dance. The fire dragon is made with candles put into each section of the dragon's body. When the dance is performed at night, firecrackers are set off. It makes for an excellent spectacle as the fire dragon shuttles back and forth among the fireworks.

Luo Deming, Fire dragon dancer, says it takes very brave people to dance in the fire.

"Fire dragon player must be brave. They don't care about the burning on their skin. They can only wear short with their fore body naked. I have many scars on my body since I have danced for decades."

Fire dragon dancers are known to be strong and are usually between the ages of 18 and 50. Before the show starts, they will drink a big bowl of wine to expel coldness as well as shed their inhibitions.

During the dance, two kinds of lighting effects are used to wow crowds. One is produced by powder and the other using molten water. There will be four molten water stoves set up around the venue of the fire dragon dance. When the performance begins, chosen staff will pound the molten water into the sky to form the spark glowing at night.

The dragon dance and light fair are testament to the popularity of dragons among Chinese people today, vividly capturing the essence of the dragon culture in China.

Here is Yu Deqiang again.
"People take the chance of dragon dance to divulge oppressed emotions after a whole year of hard work, to forget about our sorrow and bitterness. Through dragon dancing and drinking, we solve the problems and conflicts so that we can expect a better life in the new year."

Over time, the Tong Liang fire dragon dance has evolved to incorporate dancing styles both from the north and south of the country, thereby representing the best of what Chinese culture has to offer. It is indeed of one the legends of the country and rightfully enjoys a special place in its culture.