Dragon dance (Hongze Lake Water Dragon Dance, Licheng Dragon Dance), the third batch of Huai'an City Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects List Traditional Dance Extension Project. Historical Evolution Dragon dance is a traditional folk dance, named after the dancers holding props that resemble dragons in Chinese mythology and legends, and dancing back and forth. The image of the dragon originated from the totem worship in ancient my country and is regarded as a symbol of the Chinese nation. Dragon dance has a long history, and a relatively complete form of dragon dance was already in the Han Dynasty. According to the "Spring and Autumn Fanlu" by Dong Zhongshu of the Han Dynasty: In the rain-praying sacrifices of the four seasons, the green dragon danced in spring, the red dragon and the yellow dragon danced in summer, the white dragon danced in autumn, and the black dragon danced in winter. Each dragon is several feet long, and 59 dragons danced together each time. Dragon dance was introduced to Huai'an area in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and is now popular in various parts of Huai'an. Nowadays, folk dragon dances are not only highly skilled, but also more and more colorful in performance. Basic content and value Dragon dances are generally performed at temple fairs, festivals and large-scale celebrations. The prop "dragon" is made of bamboo. The bamboo strips are tied into circles with lead wire. The circles are interlaced and linked. Then four long ropes are used to connect the bamboo circles into a string, and they are covered with black, yellow or white cloth. A ball is tied with bamboo strips and a handle is installed, which is called "dragon ball" or "embroidered ball". The prop "dragon" is generally 11 or 13 sections, about 10 meters long, and there are 919 performers. During the performance, one person dances in front with the "dragon ball". Under the leadership of the dragon head, the dragon dancers follow the "dragon ball" to change movements, dance up and down, and circle left and right. The action routines include "two dragons playing with beads", "double dragons coming out of the water", "fire dragons flying", "coiling dragons making trouble in the sea", etc. There are accompaniments such as drums, gongs, and cymbals next to it. The Licheng dragon dance in Jinhu County has single dragon, double dragon, and dragon boat mixed modes. The main routines include swimming dragon, arching dragon, coiling dragon, dancing in pairs, and worshiping four gates. Fishermen in the Hongze Lake area put the dragon dance on the bow of the boat. During festivals, they dance the dragon at the bow or in shallow water to pray for the blessing of the Dragon King at the bottom of the lake. Occasionally, they include fishing movements, which have obvious regional characteristics. Dragon dance is an excellent traditional folk art that has the functions of promoting national culture, enhancing cohesion, and fitness and entertainment. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)