Tongliang County can be called the hometown of the dragon because dinosaur
fossils were unearthed from here. The dragon lanterns made in Tongliang
County are known far and wide and there is a custom of performing dragon
lantern dances during the Lantern Festival (15th of the first lunar month).
When it gets dark various dragon dances are paraded along the streets
with colorful lights hanging from above. They look like dragons roaming
in a river of lights. The dragon with red candles lit in each section
is called  a
fire dragon and the one made of multi-colored cloth is called a colorful
dragon. There is another one called a bench dragon. A one-meter long bench
is divided into three parts that are connected with iron rings for the
dragon head and tail to be attached on each end. The giant dragon is more
than 20 metres long, and is made of 24 sections.
Children also carry toy straw dragons and Chinese cabbage dragons.
The straw dragon is made of rice straw and a bamboo pole. The cabbage
dragon is made of a Chinese cabbage with a bamboo pole stuck in it and
a rope tied to the cabbage and the pole. If it is played at night, a
red candle will be stuck on it. The children imitate the movements of
the adults which makes everyone laugh.
Opinions on the origin of the dragon vary. Some people say that the
dragon originates from the alligator, pig, or silkworm. Others say that
the dragon originates from the worship of lightning and thunder. Still
others believe that the dragon is a kind of snake worshiped as a totem
of the Huaxia tribe (an ancient name for the Chinese). When the Huaxias
conquered other clans, the defeated's clan symbols, such as deer, camels,
fish, tigers and eagles were combined to create the dragon of today.
There are many legends about dragons. In the Han Dynasty, people thought
dragons would summon clouds and rain. During a draught, they would do
the dragon dance to seek help from the dragon for rain. This custom
has passed from generation to generation and exists even today.
The legend about the dragon dance in Tongliang is that one day when
the Dragon King of the East Sea got a serious backache, he disguised
himself as an old man so he could see a doctor on the land. After feeling
his pulse, the doctor asked in surprise, "Are you a human being?" The
Dragon King had to tell the truth. The doctor asked him to return to
his original form and took out a centipede from a scale in his waist
and drew out pus by applying a plaster to the affected part to cure
him. In order to show his gratitude the Dragon King revealed his secret.
He told the doctor, "You'll have good weather for the crops this year
if you build dragons in my likeness and play with them.
" Firecrackers and fireworks are thrown at the dragon lanterns when
the dragon dance is at its peak with the parade ending in an atmosphere
of excitement. They also burn the dragon lantern and one belief is that
when the dragons are burned they go to heaven which makes the weather
good for the crops. Another belief is that when the dragons are burned
they dispel all bad luck and disasters. Those young men dressed inside
the dragon lanterns are considered lucky young men and sometimes they
will catch the fancy of girls.
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