Shanghang County, located in the prime location of the middle reaches of the Tingjiang River, has a strong Hakka style. During the Spring Festival every year, the custom of "playing dragon lanterns" (i.e. dragon lantern dance) is popular in urban and rural areas of Shanghang. Amid the roar of gongs and drums and the roar of cannons, the magnificent "dragon lantern" tumbles up and down, rotates left and right under the guidance of the "dragon ball", with extraordinary momentum. More than a dozen young and middle-aged men, dressed in green and red-edged Tang suits, each holding a "dragon head", "dragon body" or "dragon tail" with a bamboo handle, closely cooperate to dance the yellow dragon vividly in the rhythmic sound of gongs and drums. According to legend, Shanghang's "playing dragon lanterns" originated in the Song Dynasty and was introduced from the Central Plains. It has a history of nearly a thousand years. The early dragon lanterns were made of bamboo strips to tie the lamp frame, which was covered with paper and painted with dragon scales. Each section was not connected to each other. The butter lamps in each section were lit, which looked very beautiful when dancing at night. Today's "dragons" are the same as those in the north. They are covered with light cloth, and then painted with scales and colors. Each section is connected with cloth and powered by dry battery lights. The spirit of a dragon lies in its head, so the head is large, with a protruding forehead, big eyes, a wide open mouth, dragon horns, dragon whiskers, etc., which are exquisitely made and powerful. Hakka people have a special liking for dragons and regard them as sacred objects. Therefore, every time a dragon lantern comes, every household competes to "receive the dragon". That is, firecrackers are set off to attract the dragon, and it will perform at home. It is believed that the whole family will be safe, rich, and have good luck for a year. However, Hakka people have a style of courtesy. After the dragon lantern comes, they welcome it in order, one family at a time. Or they collectively agree to receive it together in the ancestral temple in the village to perform to share peace and wealth. The custom of dragon dancing is the continuation and development of the Central Plains culture, reflecting the Chinese nation's feelings of unity, struggle, and pursuit of happiness. The dragon dance adds a grand and warm atmosphere to festivals or major celebrations. From the production of the dragon, performance, gongs and drums, it has a relatively high appreciation value, artistic value, scientific value, and social value for building a harmonious society. (County Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau)