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..... Traditions that keep fit .....
The Longest Dragon Under the Sky
No 12.67 click pix for preview	No 12.68 click pix for preview	236 segments, almost 1000m of length and more than 1000 carriers: the Great Dragon of Gutian town is one of the spectacular events of the Hakka Culture Festival in Liancheng county, in the western part of Fujian province.
No 2.210	No 2.211	It started in 1751, during the Qing dynasty. As prayers for a good weather and a rich harvest, the people of Gutian created special rites on the day of the Yuan Xiao Festival (Lantern Festival).
No 12.69	No 2.219	They built a dragon made of many segments assembled together. A new dragon still materializes every year on the 15th day of the first month of the moon calendar, the Yuan Xiao Festival (26th Feb 2002). But this year's was a special one. From less than 300m in 2001, the dragon's length grew to 940m!
No 12.65 click pix for preview	No 2.220 click pix for preview	The square paper lanterns held by children are 'dragon's pearls'. With the orchestra, they are part of the procession preceding the dragon.
No 2.212	No 2.213	Wu Lansen is the main figure of the orchestra. He plays a total of nine instruments, a real one-man-band that is called 'jiuse luogong' in Mandarin, meaning: nine colour gong and drum orchestra. One man carrying the drum on his back, another in charge of the beating.
No 2.215 click pix for preview	No 2.216 click pix for preview	Segments are linked by a wooden stick. One man is enough to control one stick if the segments remain in line. Otherwise, many helpers jump to his help. Up to 20 men are involved in carrying the dragon's head and in pulling the ropes to maintain the right direction.
No 2.222 click pix for preview	No 2.223 click pix for preview	Land art project or dragon procession: the connection between dragon, air and earth has never been more obvious than in Gutian.
No 12.72	No 12.71	The dragon's tail has to keep a certain distance from the rest of the body - not to provoke angry reactions from Heaven because of the too perfect creation. Lanterns carried behind the tail are called 'dragon's eggs'. They close the procession.
No 12.73 click pix for preview	No 2.230 click pix for preview	As the tail reaches the village, night has fallen. Gutian people have prepared fires of pinewood that are part of offerings to welcome the dragon.
No 2.224	No 2.227	Extremely powerful firecrackers are fused to announce the arrival of the dragon with the help of so-called 'shen chong', metal sticks specially made for that purpose. Loud noise is said scare off evil spirits. Therefore, firecrackers are used for numerous auspicious celebrations.
No 2.231 click pix for preview	No 12.75 click pix for preview	The dragon moves to Gutian's main square. Fireballs all over the place: the whole city seems to be ablaze.
No 12.76	No 2.226	The 'dragon's pearls' have already been rolling for many hours. Some men enjoy refreshment late in the evening. They will carry on deep into the night, after twelve hours of procession.