“Spring is the time of renewal. Nature comes to life, and all things flourish…” On a spring morning, while the Hungarian international student Liu Bao was reading the ancient Chinese medical classic Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) in Shenyang’s Beiling Park, a group of flying and leaping colored dragons caught his eye. The leader of the dragon dance troupe warmly invited him to join. Unexpectedly, he fell in love with the dragon dance after just one try. Through swings and flips, he found resonance with traditional Chinese culture.
The Chinese dragon dance has a long history, with records dating back to the Han Dynasty. People perform it to pray for favorable weather, national peace, and prosperity. To this day, the dragon dance remains a common performance in folk festivals. “The fitness dragon we perform, also known as colored ribbon dragon, evolved from the traditional dragon dance.” Guan Zengjuan, leader of the Shenyang Beiling Shenqiao Bridge Dragon Dance Troupe, explained to Liu Bao, “The fitness dragon combines the essence of the traditional dragon dance with modern fitness principles. Using a short rope to lead the dragon’s head, with movements like shaking, swinging, flipping, and rolling, makes it both visually captivating and beneficial for physical fitness.”
“The brightly colored dragon’s body traced graceful arcs through the air, as if a real dragon were flying,” said Liu Bao, an international student from Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, who was deeply amazed when he first saw the dragon dance.
“I had only known that the dragon symbolizes auspiciousness, nobility, and bravery in Chinese traditional culture. I had also seen its motifs on the ancient buildings in Beiling Park. But it was not until I saw the colorful dragon moving vividly in the dragon dance that I realized the dragon could ‘come alive’ like this, so I decided to learn it well,” Liu Bao added.
“I thought it would be simple, but it turned out far tougher than I expected. It requires good physical strength and excellent body coordination,” Liu Bao said. “A seemingly simple move called the ‘back 8-shaped movement Jixiang’ requires swinging the dragon into an ‘8’ shape behind the back. If the dragon’s direction or the shaking speed is slightly off, it will get tangled. So I practice on the school playground whenever I have time.”
Hard work paid off. After practicing every day, Liu Bao finally mastered the coordination of his arms and waist during the dragon dance. He also summarized his experience: “When performing the movements, you must not hesitate, and all movements must flow at a stretch. Only by understanding the spirit of the Chinese dragon—riding the waves and advancing bravely—can one embody its essence in the dance.”
“Huangdi Neijing advises that in spring, one should ‘stay up a bit late and wake up early, and take more walks,’ which encourages people to connect with nature and engage in outdoor activities,” Liu Bao, who studies traditional Chinese medicine, said, “Performing the dragon dance in spring perfectly embodies the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine in aligning with seasonal rhythms for health. In the soaring and leaping movements lies a reverence for nature and Chinese people’s pursuit of ‘harmony between man and nature’.”
“I didn’t fully understand before why Chinese people call themselves ‘descendants of the dragon.’ But after experiencing the dragon dance, I gradually felt the nation’s spirit of overcoming challenges and pioneering progress. It has also boosted my confidence.” Liu Bao carefully choreographed the moves he learned into a dance and shared this Chinese art with his family in Hungary via short videos. “The dragon dance is thrilling and enjoyable. I hope its spirit can inspire more people.”
