In my very first post when I spoke about the things that inspired me to learn Mandarin, I mentioned the fact that my brother and I played Kiddies Carnival several years ago. The section in which we played was the Chinese section where the girls wore a Chinese dress and the guys also wore Chinese wear plus they took turns holding the King of the band and also doing the dragon dance. Well, I decided to share some information about the dragon dance and its origins in China.
Here is a short YouTube video of the Chinese New Year Dragon Dance
The Chinese dragon dance which originated during the Han dynasty (180-230 AD) is performed during many Chinese celebrations and festivals like on the Chinese new year. It is said to bring good luck, prosperity and ward off evil spirits when performed. Although dragons are notoriously and generally known for being are feared fable creatures, they are actually seen as quite benevolent and gentle in Chinese culture. The dragon symbolizes respect, wealth, fertility, dignity, goodness and supernatural power.
This photograph features young men performing the dragon dance and the clothing of the young men reminds me of what my brother wore when he played mas for Kiddies Carnival.
(Photograph taken from hellokids.com)
This photograph features a large dragon head and was taken during Chinese New Year celebrations in Philippines in 2013. This dragon head also reminds me of the dragon that was King of the band when my brother and I played Kiddies Carnival. (Photograph taken from abc.net.au)
Click on the link below to read more information about the various styles of the Chinese dragon dance"-
2 comments:
Our culture is truly a melting pot of history and tradition. Sorry Earl L...the Dragon TRULY wants to Dance!
Very informative, great job!
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