It is said that there was a severe drought in the Tang Dynasty. The Dragon King made a mistake in the clouds and rain and drowned many people in Chang'an. , frightened the king of Tang Dynasty Li Shimin, so he asked the ministers for advice. The ministers believed that the Dragon King should be saved, so the people had the custom of playing dragon lanterns during the Lantern Festival. Dragon lanterns are generally made of bamboo, colored paper, cloth, etc., with an odd number of sections. , several feet long, the ones that can burn candles in the festival are called "dragon lanterns" and the ones that cannot burn candles are called "bulong". During the dragon dance, the lead dancer holds the dragon head, and dozens of people lift up wooden sticks connected to the dragon body, and follow them. Afterwards, the whole dragon ran along the prescribed route and queue in the sound of music. The dragon seemed to be alive. Folks used this energy to pray for good weather and good harvest
Dragon dance is a kind of dance that originated in China. Han traditional dance. Dragon dance and lion dance were one of the major festivals of the year in ancient times. As Chinese immigrate to various parts of the world, dragon dance culture has now spread throughout China, Southeast Asia, and even areas where Chinese are concentrated in Europe, America, Australia, and New Zealand, becoming a symbol of Chinese culture.
Dragon dance is a very ancient Han folk activity. The dragons used in dragon dances are usually placed in the local Dragon King Temple. On the day of the dragon dance, with flags, gongs, drums, and horns as the precursor, the dragon body is taken out of the temple, the head and tail are connected, and an eye-dotting ceremony is held. The body of the dragon is made of bamboo tied into a round dragon shape, with the joints connected. The outside is covered with a huge red cloth with dragon scales painted on it. There is a person holding a pole every five or six feet, and the distance between the head and the tail is about ten feet long. In front of the dragon, one person holds a pole and a giant ball is erected on the top of the pole as a guide. During the dance, the giant ball swings back, forth, left, and right, and the dragon's head looks like it's grabbing the ball, causing the dragon's body to wander and fly.
Dragon dance is a big festival, and you will be entertained wherever you dance. The dragon dance team can sometimes have five or six banquets a day, which is called "dragon for wine". When the dragon dance is completed, the head and tail are burned and the dragon body is returned to the temple.
The dragon naturally became the rain god of crops. The importance of the dragon actually surpasses that of the ancestors - Emperor Shun, Qi and Hou Ji.