Anyuan Ruilong

Jiangxi
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Anyuan Ruilong (the third provincial level) Ruilong, also known as paper dragon and five-strand dragon, is a traditional folk dance unique to the central region of Anyuan County, Jiangxi Province. It is a folk dragon lantern with five sections, namely head, waist and tail, which are not connected to each other. Ruilong has one section each for the head and tail, and three sections for the waist. Ruilong is usually performed during the Spring Festival. Before the performance, a traditional dragon worship ceremony is held. The villagers hold dragon lanterns, beat gongs and drums, come to the river to place offerings, light incense and candles, set off firecrackers, worship the dragon god, and perform the "water worship and opening" ceremony, and then perform in various villages. Its dance movements are relatively simple, and the dance steps are mainly small steps and running and jumping steps, and the words "peace in the world" are posed. The movements of the dragon dance include praises to the God of East, covering water waves, dancing water claws, weaving bamboo walls, tying characters, and walking in a circle. According to Du Limin (born in 1911), an old folk artist from Xiutian Village, Xinshan Town, Anyuan County, "Ruilong has been passed down in the local area for eleven generations, and it was created around 1800 at the latest." According to the 1993 edition of "Anyuan County Chronicles": "There is a Jiulong Mountain in the south of Anyuan City. The mountain is high and the water is clear, surrounded by clouds and mist, and it is rich in sweet and fragrant Jiulong tea. Jiulong Mountain was originally called Jiuding Mountain. According to legend, there was a poor young man at the foot of Jiuding Mountain in ancient times, who often went up the mountain alone to chop wood. One day, he came to the mountain and suddenly saw the top of the mountain was colorful and auspicious clouds were lingering. Nine golden dragons flew out of the clouds, sometimes dancing in the air, sometimes playing in the pool, sometimes disappearing, and in various shapes and forms. Just as he was fascinated by it, a mountain breeze blew, the clouds and mist dissipated, the nine golden dragons disappeared, and what appeared before his eyes were nine emerald green tea trees, swaying in the wind against the sun. Later The student was surprised and told his neighbors about the golden dragon turning into a tea tree after returning home. After hearing about it, everyone went up the mountain to watch and saw nine tea trees standing tall and graceful with green light flashing. Everyone picked tea leaves and went back to fry them carefully. The tea leaves were fragrant and intoxicating; the tea water was sweet and fragrant, and mellow. So, people made appointments to go up the mountain to open up wasteland and plant tea. Tea farmers renamed Jiuding Mountain to Jiulong Mountain, called tea Jiulong Tea, and the pond Jiulong Pond. One person told ten people, ten people told a hundred people, and the strange story of Jiulong Tea reached the ears of the emperor. The emperor immediately ordered the governor of Gannan to select Jiulong Tea to pay tribute to the court. Since then, the legend of Jiulong Mountain has been passed down to the present. "In the Qing Dynasty, the people of Anyuan created the folk dance performance program Ruilong according to this legend, and continued to perform and enrich it, implying the meanings of dragon bringing good fortune, good fortune bringing good fortune, good luck filling the house, and five blessings returning to the hall.

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