As the Chinese Spring Festival is approaching, local villagers in Rucheng County of Chenzhou City are busy making burning incense dragons, a national intangible cultural heritage that has been passed down for thousands of years.

In the ancestral hall of Waisha Village, Maqiao Town, Rucheng County, villagers are work intensively to make a 50-meter-long burning incense dragon.

Senior craftsman Zhu Liangbing from Waisha Village introduced: “The skeleton of this dragon is made entirely of high-quality straw twisted into pieces, with a length of several hundred meters. The shape of the dragon head, horns, mouth, and whiskers are all made according to the style passed down from ancestors. To make the dragon dance lively and vivid, the proportion and curvature of each part are extremely exquisite when making it.”

One 50-odd meters long burning incense dragon takes about a month for more than ten villagers to complete. After the skeleton is tied, the most crucial step is to insert incenses. Tens of thousands of specially-made dragon incense sticks, each about 60 centimeters long, are evernly stuck in the whole dragon body at intervals of about two to three centimeters.

This process is just like putting shinning scales on a giant dragon, and the density and distribution of incense sticks determines the final charm of the dragon, which cannot be taken lightly.

In Rucheng County, burning incense dragons are of different shapes such as round dragon and sulfonic dragon, each with its own characteristics, reflecting the traditions and craftsmanship of different villages.

It is worth mentioning that this ancient skill is grabbing the attention of the younger generations. At the production site, children also enthusiastically participated, with the seeds of intangible cultural heritage quietly sprouting in their hearts.

These burning incense dragons, which embody ingenuity and anticipation, will be lit in the night before and after the Lantern Festival. At that time, dazzling burning incense dragons will dance passionately under the starry night sky, wandering through the alleys and fields of the village.

Every household will light firecrackers to warmly “welcome the dragon”, praying for good weather, family health, and national prosperity in the new year. The Burning Incense Dragon carries not only the millennium old folk rituals, but also the simple longing of Rucheng people for a better life, as well as the cultural consciousness and confidence passed down from generation to generation.

Chinese source: