Gallery: The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

A smoking dragon snakes its up around the Tai Hang neighborhood supported by muscular, sweating men

By Bruce Foreman 22 September, 2010

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Dragon Dancing is still considered a macho undertaking. Controlling the heavy tail requires much strength. Here, one of the dancers Kenji Choy rakes the asphalt to steady himself.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Kenji Choy has 15 Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dances under his belt and draws cheers with his prowess. Only the dancers who have stayed with the group longest, and who have strong upper body strength, can have the privilege of dancing with the dragon tail or head.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

The fire dragon head weighs about 70 kilos.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

The dragon is so heavy that dancers must take turns holding it up. Those responsible for the head and tail can only dance for one to two minutes at a time.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Dancers often get burned by the incense sticks, but they say it is all part of the fun.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Dancers grin and bear the burns from the fire dragon. The dragon needs about 32 dancers for support.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Wet towels protect dancers from incense burns, somewhat.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Safety goggles are a necessary precaution for some. Participants wearing blue t-shirts are reponsible for crowd control.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Everyone joins in the festival song.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

The fire dragon's tail snakes along for 220 feet, winding in and out amongst people who hold up decorative banners and signs.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon loops about in traditional dragon dance formations, but the incense sticks covering its surface add an element of danger to the performance.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Winnie Ho is one of the percussionists for the night. Ho lives in Sha Tin but travels to Tai Hang to rehearse and perform the fire dragon dance.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

The Tai Hang Residents' Welfare Society organizes the fire dragon dance every year.

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

At the end of the evening, the lucky incense is taken out of the dragon's body and given out to the crowds.

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The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance has been an annual event since 1880 when a villager had a dream that parading a mock serpent covered in incense sticks would rid the neighborhood of plague. Today the event brings together residents in gentrifying Tai Hang with clangs of Chinese percussive music and cheers for the hard-working dancers.

Tonight is the last leg of the three-night event, beginning 7:30pm until late.

www.taihangfiredragon.hk

Professional traveler, tea drinker, photographer, writer, environmental scientist and real-foods appreciator, Bruce is based nine months of the year in Hong Kong and three months in Australia.

Gallery: The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance

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