Zhangjiajie Folk Customs: Bench Dragon
Dragon dance is a traditional sports culture of the Chinese nation, symbolizing the spirit of the Chinese people. Majestic and powerful, dragon dance is widely spread across the north, south, east, and west of the motherland. For thousands of years, this symbol of auspiciousness, joy, and happiness has become the most representative folk activity for festive occasions in China's urban and rural areas, and is currently promoted nationwide.
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The dragon dance is a traditional sports culture of the Chinese nation and symbolizes the spirit of the Chinese people. The dragon dance is majestic and powerful, and is widely spread across the north, south, east, and west of the motherland's vast territory. For thousands of years, the dragon dance movement, symbolizing good fortune, joy, and happiness, has become the most representative folk activity for festive occasions in China's vast urban and rural areas, and is also one of the important mass sports events in China's current national fitness program to strengthen the physical and mental health of the people. The bench dragon is a type of dragon dance. During some holidays or cultural entertainment activities, people can often see the heroic posture of the bench dragon. Its production method is ingenious and lively, and its performance forms are colorful and varied, with strong local characteristics.
The Chinese nation is a highly creative nation. Looking at the bench dragon dance performances of all ethnic groups in various regions, there are many types, each with its own characteristics, forming different schools.
The bench dragon in Dayong is a unique form of dragon dance, and dragon dance is a splendid Chinese folk sports art. The Bai people have a special preference for dancing the bench dragon. Among the Bai people, the bench dragon dance is said to have originated in the Han dynasty and evolved from the religious activity of the Bai ancestors, "dancing the dragon to pray for rain."
There are two styles of bench dragon. One is the simple bench dragon, in which two people lift a long bench as the head and one person follows behind, choosing a suitable "stage" for the performance; the other is the "bamboo-strip bench dragon," in which a dragon shape is made of bamboo strips and placed on a bench, with wooden feet representing dragon claws, beautiful and lifelike in form. There are also two dance styles for the bench dragon: one is the single-bench dragon, and the other is the nine-section dragon (nine benches joined together). The movements of the bench dragon dance include "Two Dragons Seizing the Pearl," "Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell," and "Yellow Dragon Coils Around the Body." In Yongshun and Cili, the straw-bundle dragon is also popular, with dragon ears made of straw. Dragon dances are also divided into "dry dragons" and "wet dragons"; "dry dragons" are mostly for entertainment, while "wet dragons" are for praying for rain. Wherever the "dragon" goes, the common people must splash water to cheer it on, and the dancers are soaked through, making it very lively and joyful.
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