China News Service, Zhangping, Fujian, February 15 (Guo Yibin, Zhang Chenrui) On February 14, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, thousands of villagers in Xipu Village, Xinqiao Town, Zhangping City, Fujian Province danced together in a 300-meter-long dance. There are lanterns and dragons on the benches, walking through the village to pray for blessings. This activity rich in intangible cultural heritage has also attracted tens of thousands of tourists to enjoy and experience it.
The picture shows that on February 14, villagers of Xipu Village, Xinqiao Town, Zhangping City danced a 300-meter-long bench lantern dragon through the village to pray for blessings. Photo by Guo Yibin
At around 5:30 in the evening, after the sacrificial ceremony was completed, the dragon's head and tail were connected to the dragon body made by the villagers. Then 106 candles of the bench lantern dragon were lit at the same time, and more than 1,000 young adults carried them This giant lantern dragon began to dance. The dragon body is dazzlingly decorated with colorful flowers, paper-cuts, peasant paintings, bells, lamp strips and other accessories. Long dragons shuttled through the streets and lanes of the village, sometimes performing "dragons going out to sea" and sometimes "playing through flowers". The dragon's body swayed. Amidst the fireworks blooming in the sky, the deafening sound of firecrackers and cheers, the whole village was immersed in a festive atmosphere. in the atmosphere.
The picture shows that on February 14, villagers of Xipu Village, Xinqiao Town, Zhangping City danced a 300-meter-long bench lantern dragon through the village to pray for blessings. Photo by Guo Yibin
"Bench Lantern Dragon" is a very distinctive folk activity in Zhangping City. In 2022, it was included in the "Seventh Batch of Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects in Fujian Province". It not only inherits traditional culture but also blends with the flavor of the times. Combine. Because the "Bench Lantern Dragon" is difficult to organize, it is not held every year. From the resumption of dragon dance activities in 1987 to 2023, Xipu Village has held seven large-scale folk activities with thousands of people dancing the Bench Lantern Dragon. After an absence of seven years, the local area held three consecutive dragon dance events with thousands of people around the Spring Festival this year (the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the fifth of the first lunar month, and the Lantern Festival on the 15th of the first lunar month). Seeing such a spectacular dragon scene attracted tens of thousands of tourists. Feast your eyes and marvel at it, and at the same time feel the strong festive atmosphere.
The picture shows that on February 14, villagers of Xipu Village, Xinqiao Town, Zhangping City danced a 300-meter-long bench lantern dragon through the village to pray for blessings. (Drone photo) Photo by Guo Yibin
It is understood that Xinqiao Town will also hold a dragon dance event on the evening of February 24 (the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month), and welcomes tourists to join the intangible cultural heritage tour. (over)