Coinciding with Mid-Autumn Festival is the unique Fire Dragon Dance – a spectacular ritual guaranteed to be one of the most extraordinary events you will ever witness. The 67-metre-long dragon is studded with thousands of burning joss sticks that at night produce an incredible spectacle of fire, smoke and dynamic fury as the dragon wends and dances through the backstreets of Tai Hang. This year the dance has been extended along Tung Lo Wan Road to create more viewing space. With traditional flag dances and local participants banging drums and cymbals and juggling joss sticks alongside the dragon, it’s a visually and aurally stunning experience!
The three-day event commemorates a series of mishaps that befell Tai Hang in 1880 culminating in a plague breaking out in the village. Appearing in the dream of a village elder, Buddha instructed the villagers to light firecrackers and perform a fire dragon dance for three days and nights during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Sulphur from the firecrackers dispelled the plague and the ritual has been repeated annually ever since.
Event: Fire Dragon Dance at Tai Hang (大坑舞火龍)
Date: 05 Oct., 2006
Place: Tai Hang (大坑), Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Equipment: Canon 30D, 17-40mm 4.0L
