A spectacular 67-meter fire dragon crafted with burning incense sticks captivated over a thousand festival-goers as it was paraded through the streets of Tai Hang on Monday night.
The dragon is made of “pearl grass” and takes more than 300 people to perform the dance. It was also accompanied for the first time by a 20-meter LED version carried by around 100 children.
The ceremony starts with decorating the dragon and stuffing it with burning incense sticks before parading it through the streets of Tai Hang.
The Fire Dragon Dance parade is set to run for three nights to Wednesday (Sept 18) as supported by Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) Charities Trust in collaboration with the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association.
Officiating at the dance’s opening ceremony, HKJC chairman Michael Lee Tze-hau said the Club was happy to have supported the Fire Dragon Dance since 2010, including training for children and young people to foster interest in the cultural heritage activity.
The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance was first held in 1880 as an act to ward off a plague that had broken out in the district that year. It has since become customary to stage a fire dragon dance every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival to drive away infectious diseases and to bring good fortune.
In addition to the recognized the National Intangible Cultural Heritage event, the streets also feature a diverse range of celebratory installations, providing opportunities for capturing memorable photos and will showcase a series of captivating live performances.
(Updated at 10 pm)
