Dragon Dance (Reimagined)

Chunyan Zhang

2024 / 11 minutes
China / China
Chinese with English Subtitles

The Tongliang Dragon Dance has deep roots in local folk beliefs, originating in the Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th century), and has been passed down through generations. However, since the 1980s, there has been a shift in how both the Chinese populace and government view traditional culture, such as the Dragon Dance. It is now seen as a resource that can be reinvented, commodified, and secularized to bring economic and social benefits to rural China. In 2006, the Tongliang Dragon Dance was designated as a “National Level Intangible Cultural Heritage” by the Central State, leading to its inclusion in the physical education curriculum of primary and secondary schools by local governments. Despite this recognition, it remains crucial to explore what motivates younger generations to engage in the cultural transmission of this ancient ritual amid the widespread influence of global cultural exchange. The film Dragon Dance (Reimagined) was produced as part of my undergraduate Honors Thesis in Anthropology, which investigates the politicization and socialization of the Dragon Dance. Through this ethnographic film, I aim to reveal how modern educators have repurposed this ancient folkloric dance to provide various forms of guidance to youth, offering insights into the evolving role of tradition in contemporary society.