Follow the fire dragon for a night to remember
During Mid-Autumn festival, the famous Fire Dragon will be dancing through the streets and lanes in Tai Hang, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the district. But for locals, the real fête is in the small hours when bonfires can be seen in every street corner.
During Mid-Autumn festival, the famous Fire Dragon will be dancing through the streets and lanes in Tai Hang, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the district. But for locals, the real fête is in the small hours when bonfires can be seen in every street corner.
For three nights in a row during September, the majestic 67-metre long dragon, constructed mainly with straw, hemp rope and incense sticks will be awakened with the help of 300 young men.
The dance started when the people of Tai Hang village miraculously stopped a plague with a fire dragon dance in the 19th century. Since then locals celebrate the ritual every year that has since become part of China’s official intangible cultural heritage.
While strong young men support the hefty dragon and the two guiding pearls to swirl and slither along the streets, the experienced seniors pray to the deity and play the drum to lead the rhythm. Ladies and kids have their role too; they hold the large lanterns to lead the way for the dragon. The sheer size and force of the fire dragon is absolutely breath taking.
For those who are fascinated by the fire dragon dance, you can not only visit but also take part in the event. With the growing popularity of the dance, the Tai Hang community is organising a series of workshops a month before the dance to teach the public to make the fire dragon and be a part of the performance.
After the grand parade, many visitors choose to stay in the district for the gastro delights. Be it a hot pot for the whole family, a Japanese izakaya for a small group or a traditional congee and rice noodle roll, the numerous and various budget and style eateries will certainly satisfy the pickiest person.
But for many locals, after all the smoke and sweat, there is another unwritten tradition, a barbeque grill on the rooftops or the sidewalks. With a bite of honey-glazed chicken wing and a sip of beer, they chat among family members and neighbours until late at night, as if this is the only natural thing to do after the dance.
Seeing kids running around with lanterns, adults sharing the exciting moments they just had during the dance, many of them wearing the exclusive fire dragon white tee shirts, you will experience the affection and pride of the Tai Hang people with this century-old dragon.
