Drunken Dragon | Dance for divine protection

Drunken Dragon Dance is a core ceremony celebrating Buddha’s Birthday in Macau. It is a ritual praying for peace and health.

There are at least two legends which explain this ritual. In one version, a monk about to bathe in a river was attacked by a snake which he later killed and chopped into several chunks. Afterwards, several seemingly drunk fishermen appeared and danced with the body. Surprisingly, the snake came back to life and flew away as a dragon.

In the other version, when villagers prayed to Buddha against a plague, a snake leaped out of the water and was slain. Its blood turned the water red but the plague disappeared, which made the villagers think it was an incarnation of dragon.

The ritual has changed over time, but the core remains: the head and the tail of the dragon crafted into wooden artifacts. Normally several dragons “appear” in a dance.

In the night before the dance, the fisherman community gathers to eat and pray. During dinner some of them will start dancing with the wooden dragons. The dinner also makes the foundation for the “Rice of the Dragon Boat Head” that symbolizes longevity.

The ritual is also observed in Zhuhai and Zhongshan, collectively known as Xiangshan County.

Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month in Chinese- speaking jurisdictions. Staff reporter