Dragon Lantern Dance (Xiangtan)

DATE:08-06-2011

In Xiangtan and neighboring regions, the people maintain some unique customs to celebrate the New Year, and these customs are old and plain. From the first to the fifteenth day of the first month of a lunar year, dragon lantern dances can be seen everywhere no matter it is in towns or countryside. An event before the dragon lantern dance is “receiving dragons”, i.e., invitation letters are sent to families from house to house, and the families that have received the letters will come into the room in turn to dance the dragon lanterns to express congratulations. After receiving dragons, the actors will begin to perform dragon lantern dances. The dragons will rise up with the drum sounds, and then jump into air and make somersaults. The scenes are really like a saying goes: speeding across the sky. When the dragons are joyous and vigorous enough, they will present the audience with too many things to see. In addition, some witch customs and conventions exclusive to Chu area are handed down, and such customs include "receiving dragons", "collecting water" and “hanging red”, all of which express the people’s best wishes for the New Year.