"Fried Dragon Lantern" is a unique performance with Tujia ethnic characteristics on the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. At night, there are crowds of people, the dragon lantern team takes off their dragon clothes, the performers only wear shorts, and dance along the street with a long dragon, people will prepare firecrackers and homemade fireworks, aimed at the dragon's head, the dragon body, the dragon's tail explodes, violently release, and the sparks roll on the dragon dancers. The worse the dragon body is blown up, the better it will be in the coming year, so people hold firecrackers and fireworks to chase and bomb to their heart's content, which is very spectacular. At the end of the dragon dance, it is necessary to sacrifice to the sky, and in the noisy sound of gongs, drums and firecrackers, the grass dragon is respectfully sent to the rivers and streams. The intention is to return the dragon to the Dragon Palace to bless the coming year's good weather, health and auspiciousness.
At 17 o'clock on the day of the Lantern Festival, there was"Oriental Carnival"The Tujia dragon dance and fried dragon performance in Dejiang County, Guizhou Province, which is known as the name, began. Dejiang County is a Tujia inhabited area, every year during the Lantern Festival, the county has the traditional custom of dancing dragon lanterns and blowing dragon lanterns, this custom has continued for hundreds of years, and it is a way for the local people to pray for peace, prosperity and health.
The dragon dance team is made up of young people between the ages of 16 and 25, who drink a little liquor before "going out of the lantern", then put on a hard hat, cover their neck and exposed hair with a wet towel, take off their shirts and start dancing along the street "dragon lantern" with their shirts and shirtless. Wherever the dragon team passes, people will start to "bombard" the dragon with prepared firecrackers and special fireworks hanging from bamboo poles. In order to show their bravery, the dragon dance team will gather in the place where the firecrackers are most numerous, and the onlookers will light more firecrackers to explode the dragon. The scene was spectacular.
On this day, people will do many interesting activities, the most lively of which is the dragon lantern. Frying dragon lanterns is an ancient traditional activity that originated from ancient Chinese folk beliefs. Legend has it that dragons can travel through clouds and rain to bring good harvest and good fortune to the world. Therefore, people make lanterns in the shape of dragons, sing and dance, and pray for a good harvest and good weather in the new year. With the passage of time, the dragon lantern gradually evolved into a festive cultural activity and became one of the important programs of the Lantern Festival.
On the occasion of the Lantern Festival, various villages and communities will organize teams to blow up dragon lanterns. These teams are usually formed voluntarily by local residents, ranging in age from a few years to several decades. Dressed in colourful clothes and holding dragon lanterns, they paraded through the village in a neat procession. The scene of the dragon lantern bombing is spectacular. The dragon's head, body, and tail are all made of colored paper and bamboo strips, and are beautifully painted with patterns.
At night, people light candles or place light bulbs to let the dragon lanterns shine warmly in the darkness. With the sound of gongs, drums and firecrackers, the dragon lantern procession began to parade through the village. They weave through narrow lanes and wide squares, dancing dragon lanterns and striking various poses, sometimes hovering and rising, sometimes diving down, sometimes tumbling and jumping. Under the interweaving of light and shadow, the fried dragon lantern shows a magical power and beauty.
In the process of blowing up the dragon lantern, the audience will also participate. They took out their phones or cameras to record the beautiful moment. Some people will also follow the procession, singing, dancing and setting off firecrackers. The whole village is immersed in a joyful and festive atmosphere.
In the parade of fried dragon lanterns, there are also some special designs and arrangements. For example, a small box filled with firecrackers is placed at the end of the lantern. When the procession marches to a designated spot, the person who lights the firecracker will set it on fire and throw it into the air. With the sound of firecrackers, the whole team began to speed up the dance of the dragon lantern, and the scene was very spectacular. Sometimes there will be a fireworks display with a performance of fried dragon lanterns, which makes the whole scene even more dazzling.
The addition of these innovative elements not only enriches the connotation of traditional culture, but also enables more young people to accept and love traditional culture. Overall, the Lantern Festival is a very interesting and lively traditional activity. By participating in this event, people can not only feel the strong festival atmosphere and the charm of traditional culture, but also enhance the feelings and friendships between each other. It is hoped that this traditional culture can be better inherited and developed, so that more people can understand and participate in this festive festival.