Dragon dance is a unique dance form in my country. In many areas of my country, dragon dance art exists. Dragon dance embodies people's reverence for dragons and their hopes for a better life. In Zhouzhi County, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, there is also such a precious intangible cultural heritage Zhouzhi Dragon Lantern. The dragon is a magical animal in ancient Chinese mythology and legends. It is composed of deer horns, lion noses, tiger eyes, ox lips, horse faces, eagle claws, fish scales, snake bodies, and phoenix tails. It is a symbol of unity and auspiciousness, and it shows the rich imagination and wisdom of the Chinese nation. In ancient times, from emperors to ordinary people, everyone worshipped dragons. Even Huangdi called himself the true dragon emperor, and his descendants were called dragon sons and grandsons. Most of the imperial objects were named "dragon". To this day, despite the changes of the times, the influence of dragons on the Chinese nation is still far-reaching. In China, dragon culture is deeply rooted. The Chinese people call themselves descendants of Yan and Huang, also known as descendants of dragons. Farmers have a special feeling for dragons. Due to the lack of scientific knowledge of natural phenomena, people imagine that there are dragons in the clouds and the sea, and dragons are responsible for rain. Dragon dancing is to pray for the blessing of the dragon god. Therefore, in the first month of the year, dragon lantern dancing contains farmers' good wishes for good weather, good harvests, peace and harmony, and has been passed down for a long time. It is said that dragon dance first appeared in the Yellow Emperor period, and has since been widely spread in my country. There are two theories about the origin of Zhouzhi dragon lanterns. One theory is that it began in the early Eastern Han Dynasty. At that time, Liu Xiu was in trouble and passed by the north gate of Bei'an. Wang Mang led his troops to chase him. Fortunately, Taishang Laojun rescued and guided him to hide under the Wolong Bridge. As a result, Wang Mang's army fell into the Wuhua Spring and was swallowed up. Since then, white dragons have appeared in the White Dragon Pool from time to time. According to legend, a man named Hu from Bei'an Lane went out and came back in the evening. He found that the four gates were closed. He went around the north gate to go back. When he reached the White Dragon Pond, he suddenly saw a white dragon. The dragon's head was on the city wall, and the dragon's tail was in the pond. Hu was so scared that he fled back in panic. He hurriedly told his neighbors about this. When they came, the dragon had disappeared, leaving only a vast cloud. In July and August of the following year, the Weihe River flooded, and all the villages along the river were submerged, except Bei'an. In order to repay the blessing of the dragon, three dragon temples were built to the west of the White Dragon Pond. From the 12th to the 15th of the first month, the 2nd of the second month, and the 15th of the second month in the green year, the people of Bei'an danced with dragon lanterns to worship, and this has been passed down from generation to generation to this day. Another view is that it began in the late Ming Dynasty. In a certain year in the late Ming Dynasty, the Luohe River overflowed (the Luohe River is today's Shahe River), and a statue of a god floated in the river, later called the Three Gods. The villagers of Wangfuzhai invited it to the village (Wangfuzhai is the predecessor of the current Wangpo Tiansi Village) and offered sacrifices. There is a dragon pattern inside the statue, with a white head, tail and body. The whole village, young and old, feels that the dragon is a gift from heaven to protect the people and the village. To express their gratitude to the dragon, they make dragon lanterns according to the pattern and worship the gods and pray for health. Since then, the custom of dragon lantern dance in Zhouzhi has been passed down. The agenda of the dragon lantern activities in Zhouzhi includes: inviting the dragon god, dancing the dragon lantern, and sending the dragon god. Before dancing the dragon lantern in Bei'an Lane, people usually go to Bailongchi to invite the dragon. When inviting the dragon, a grand ceremony of calming the spirit must be held. The dragon dancing fairy boy wears a divine talisman on his head, colorful clothes, a yellow belt around his waist, a string of bells, hemp shoes on his feet, and a dragon pole is erected. There is a divine table in front of the dragon, where the dragon tablet is worshipped, incense, candles, and watches are placed. After lighting, smoke and silver light are shimmering. Then the cannon is fired, and everyone kneels down and kowtows three times. The leader recites 1. After the real dragon enters the dragon lantern, the dragon dance can begin. The scene of dragon dance is spectacular. The gong and drum team creates a great momentum in front to attract people's attention. Four pairs of lanterns, a dragon gate 6 meters high and 5 meters wide, and a dragon column 5 meters high follow closely behind, followed by chicken lanterns, fish lanterns, shrimp lanterns, cicada lanterns, flower drum lanterns, five-pointed stars, etc. In this momentum, the giant dragon shakes its head and tail, passes from house to house, and wanders around the streets and alleys. Sometimes the giant dragon raises its head and soars into the air, sometimes turns its head and turns over, and sometimes hugs the column and entangles. Sometimes the field is filled with clouds and mist, sometimes flames soar into the sky, and sometimes stars are twinkling. After the dragon dance, it is time to send the dragon home. The procedure for sending the dragon god is roughly the same as when inviting him, and it is usually carried out on the 15th and 16th nights of the first lunar month. The basic routines of Zhouzhi dragon lantern include: Golden dragon coming out of the dragon gate (coming out of the East China Sea) raising its head three times (setting off fireworks); Golden dragon soaring into the clouds, blessing the world; Golden dragon playing in the water (head 0 tail, tail washing face); drilling four pillars; winding a single pillar; Golden dragon turning over; Golden dragon rejoicing, flowers blooming (letting through grass and flowers); Golden dragon drilling alone, head and tail double drilling; dragon tail curling back, rejoicing; two dragons playing with pearls; mother and son love (three dragons); Golden dragon circling the treasure land; Four seas dragon kings gather together, etc. In addition, the performance of Wangpo Temple dragon lantern is also very exciting, with the main routines including: giant dragon making a fuss in spring, Chinese dragon, dragon retreating from the shell, dragon turning over, dragon playing with pillars, dragon tumbling, dragon wagging its tail, dragon patrolling the four seas, auspicious dragon soaring into the sky, etc. The performers are young and strong, divided into three groups in rotation, each group has 11 people, 2 people hold the dragon head, 2 people hold the dragon tail, and 7 people hold the dragon body. 1 person for dragon ball, 8 people for lantern, 8 people for row lantern, 5 people for dragon gate, 2 people for fireworks, 2 people for flower setting, 4 people for iron cannon, and 15 people for gong and drum team. Zhouzhi dragon lantern, after thousands of years of inheritance, has been recognized and praised by all walks of life, and has profound value. Historical value: Zhouzhi dragon lantern originated in the early Eastern Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has been passed down from generation to generation for more than a thousand years. During this period, many moving legends have been left. Therefore, excavating and protecting it is of great significance to the study of the history and culture of this period. Social value: The traditional purpose of dragon lantern dance is to pray for good weather and good harvest. Later, people used it to add to the festive atmosphere. At the same time, it is also a symbol of people's good wishes for good health and longevity, auspicious life, a thriving career, rolling in wealth, and continuous incense from generation to generation. In addition, dragon lantern dance also has the effect of inspiring the national spirit, which has positive significance for building a harmonious society. Cultural value: The production and performance of dragon lanterns are permeated with the breath of traditional culture and modern civilization. The production requires knowledge of bamboo weaving, cutting, mounting, and painting. The performance requires the ability of music, dance, physics (sound, light, electricity), etc. In addition, traditional etiquette knowledge must be understood when inviting and sending off the dragon god. The dragon is nine feet long, representing the way of heaven, earth, and man. The eighty-one scales represent the number of the great way of nine nines returning to one. The nine sections are called the number of the great way, which is supreme. At present, Zhouzhi Dragon Lantern has been included in the third batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage protection list of Shaanxi Province.