folk dance of the Han Chinese. It is named after the legendary dragon-shaped props held by the dancers. The image of the dragon originated from the ancient Chinese totem and is regarded as a symbol of the nation. According to legend, the dragon can make clouds and rain, eliminate disasters and bring blessings. Dragon dance is called "dragon dance" in some places, and "dragon lantern dance" in others. Dragon dance is a folk dance form widely popular in various parts of China, such as Guangdong, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan and Shanxi provinces. The performance time is generally on the first day of the first lunar month when people pay New Year's greetings, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month when people celebrate the "prosperity" and the "Lantern Festival". In some places, it is performed on the second day of the second lunar month when the "dragon raises its head". This is an extremely common folk art. This traditional art program is mostly closely linked to China's traditional festivals. The dragon in the dragon dance consists of a dragon head, a dragon body and a dragon tail. The dragon body is relatively long and is the main body of the dragon. When making this kind of dragon for performance, bamboo strips or iron wire are used as a frame, and paper or cloth is applied on the outside. The sections of the dragon body are sewn into tubes with cloth and then painted. After the dragon body, dragon head and dragon tail are made, a wax stem is inserted in the middle of each section of the dragon body, and a wooden handle is placed at the bottom for the performers to hold with their hands. At the beginning of the dragon dance, many people each hold a section of the wooden handle and wave it left and right, making the dragon body wriggle slowly in the air. When dancing the dragon at night, the candle inside the dragon body is lit, supplemented by various lanterns such as colored lanterns and lotus lanterns, and fireworks and firecrackers are set off at the same time to create a certain momentum, attract the audience, and make the dragon dance present an extraordinary style. "Dragon dance" has various shapes, production and performance forms. The dragon is originally the totem of the Huaxia people and is a divine object worshipped by farming people. People believe that dragons can make clouds and rain. Dancing the dragon during the Spring Festival means good weather and good harvest; dancing the dragon during drought can pray for rain; dancing the dragon in each house can eliminate disasters and exorcise evil spirits. This custom has been passed down. The props for dragon dance are divided into cloth dragon, grass dragon, fire dragon and segment dragon, and their performance techniques vary accordingly. The most popular ones are: Dragon Lantern. Also known as Fire Dragon and Golden Dragon. The dragon head, dragon body (310 sections) and dragon tail are made of bamboo strips and silk cloth, and the dragon scales are painted. A candle is installed in each section of the dragon body. When dancing, one person holds a colored lantern (symbolizing the pearl) in front and leads the dance, while many others hold the wooden handles under the dragon head, dragon body and dragon tail to dance with them, performing "Two Dragons Playing with Pearls" and "Golden Dragon Coiling on Jade Pillar". Dragon lanterns are mostly danced on festive nights, accompanied by gongs, drums and suona, and fireworks are set off at the same time, which is spectacular and lively. Grass Dragon. Also known as "Incense Dragon", it is made of straw and green vines into a dragon shape, and is filled with burning incense sticks. When dancing on summer nights, shooting stars flash, attracting flying insects to chase. After the dance, the grass dragon is quickly inserted into the pond to drown the insects. It is not only entertaining but also can kill insects. Therefore, dancing the grass dragon also means preventing insect disasters. In May and June of the lunar calendar, farmers in the south use willow branches, ivy, straw and other materials to make dragons. The dragons are filled with incense and danced in the fields after dusk, which looks like sparks and smoke. In the past, they were mostly danced during sacrificial activities during insect plagues or droughts, with the intention of driving away insects and praying for rain. In addition, there are some dragon dances where the dragon body is not connected, such as the louvered dragon popular in Zhejiang, which is made up of dozens or even hundreds of lotus lanterns, lotus leaf lanterns, and butterfly lanterns interlaced and connected in series. The big lotus lantern is the dragon head and the butterfly lantern is the dragon tail, which shuttles back and forth. In Jiangsu, a segmented dragon is popular. The dragon head, body and tail are all made of red silk. They are light and graceful. They are mostly danced by women, and they walk out of many formations in a line, like a rainbow winding in the air. Dragon dance is the most popular folk dance during traditional Chinese festivals. Chinese communities around the world also use dragon dance to express community traditional culture. Cloth dragon: The dragon head and the segmented dragon body are connected with cloth, which is painted in the shape of a dragon. The number of performers depends on the length of the dragon. The dragon dance is performed under the guidance of a person holding a "precious pearl". The dragon jumps and falls with the pearl, sometimes slow and sometimes fast, like flying in the sky, diving into the sea and crossing the waves, with a myriad of scenes. Fire dragon: A candle is lit in each section of the prop, and the performance is performed at night. At the same time, firecrackers are set off to add to the fun. In the fireworks, the fire dragon shuttles, sparks fly, and it is extremely exciting. The country attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20, 2006, the dragon dance was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. On June 8, 2007, the dragon dance performance teams of Chengdu Jinjiang District, Chengdu Wenjiang District, Chengdu Xindu District, Chengdu Longquanyi District, Chengdu Pengzhou City, Dujiangyan City, Qionglai City, Shuangliu County and Xinjin County all won the first Cultural Heritage Day Award issued by the Ministry of Culture. (No pictures available, welcome to provide.) (No pictures available, welcome to provide.)