FIRE DRAGON (2020)

This photo series refers to the traditional Lantern Festival Hakka dance fire dragons in Taiwan Miaoli County. The Miaoli fire dragon originated from the Mengli region’s Yinglong celebration. It is a very lively and exciting Lantern Festival New Year celebration. This day’s family has one of the most important traditional activities “Dragon”. The event of the dragon will bring peace and good fortune to the people with a firecracker. “Fire Dragons” use firecrackers to blast dragons, using a large number of firecrackers and bee cannons to explode dragons to get the rid of evil (going old) to greet the New Year. It is a very lively and exciting Lantern Festival to celebrate the New Year. When the Lantern Festival is approaching each year, many dragon teams start to practice. Many dragon dances all over Taiwan. Only Miaoli Hakka developed the custom of "Fire Dragons".

本攝影系列展現了台灣苗栗地區傳統的元宵節客家「炸龍」習俗。苗栗炸龍源自於萌里地區的迎龍慶典，是當地極具活力且熱鬧非凡的元宵新年慶祝活動。在這一天，舞龍 es 家族中使用核心的傳統儀式，人們深信透過燃放鞭炮迎龍，能為地方帶來平安與福氣。「炸龍」過程中，會使用大量的鞭炮與蜂炮連續轟炸龍身，以此驅邪迎新、去舊送往。每當元宵節臨近，台灣各地的許多龍隊便會開始密集排練。而在全台灣種類繁多的舞龍文化中，唯有苗栗客家完整保留並發展出如此獨特的「炸龍」傳統。