Chinese Culture Days 2000
May 20, 21 at Missouri Botanical Garden

Dragon Dance
The 70' Golden Dragon, commissioned by Chinese  Culture Education and Service, underwritten by Schnucks Markets, Inc. and custom built in Nanjing, makes its grand debut today.  The most auspicious being in Chinese folklore, the Dragon, is a creature of incomparable strength whose 24 legged dance can dispel bad luck and ward off evil.
Earliest written records of dragon dancing is established in the West Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 24 A.D.) when the dragon danced during a spring drought.  The dragon also dances to celebrate the new year, to open a festival.  Originally the dragon came in five colors, green, red, yellow, white and black to represent the Five Elements fire, water, metal, wood and earth.  Over the years he religious and mythical overtones have evolved.  Today, the gold and green dragon is more common, especially in this year of the Golden Dragon which occurs once in 60 years.