For 133 years, the fire dragon has danced through the streets in Tai Hang from the 14th to the 16th of the lunar August every year. Edmond Tang / China Daily

The dragon is so heavy that it needs hundreds of strong men to take turns carrying it for three hours each night. Edmond Tang / China Daily

Young volunteers hold lanterns to add to the festive mood to the parade. Edmond Tang / China Daily

Legend has it that the fiery dragon of Tai Hang saved the 19th Century village from a deadly plague. During the SARS epidemic, nine dragons were called forth and the plague disappeared within a week. Now Tai Hang prepares for the dragon's annual Mid-Autumn Festival return. Ming Yeung reports.

For 133 years, he has re-appeared faithfully from the 14th to the 16th day of the eighth lunar month. He is a fiery dragon, 220 feet long, who dances through the streets, of Tai Hang, or Big Water Channel.

Tai Hang nowadays, is no longer lined with simple Hakka houses. Today, the streets are lined with fancy restaurants, in an upscale, rather tranquil residential area, tucked away behind Causeway Bay.

This year the dragon's spectacular reappearance will fall between September 29 and October 1.

Tai Hang, normally does not draw tourists and casual shoppers. But every year, local and tourists throng to the area to witness, the fanfare and jubilation at the return of the dragon. Legend has it that in 1880, a serpent sneaked into the village, whose inhabitants were farmers and fishermen, and ate their livestock. Angry villagers hunted down the serpent and killed it. The carcass was taken to the police station. The next morning, however, the body of the snake was gone and the legend began to form that the snake was the son of Dragon King. Shortly thereafter, a plague swept the village, wreaking havoc and claiming the lives of many young people. A dream came to a village elder. In the dream he was instructed that the village should perform a fire dragon dance and set off firecrackers on three consecutive nights during the Mid-Autumn Festival to purge the evil spirits.

The villagers performed the dance. The plague was removed and the ritual has been reenacted since, to commemorate both the calamities and the ritual of healing. The rite was suspended only during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during the Second World War.

Chan Tak-fai is the commander-in-charge of the event, held by the Tai Hang Residents' Welfare Association. He's probably the man who knows the whole tradition best. Preparations for the ritual begin right after the Dragon Boat Festival. But the event is definitely not a one-man show. There are many volunteers. Some have been lending their efforts for decades, taking time off work to help build the dragon. The traditional skill is one that has passed from generation to generation.

The integrity of these devoted helpers is the key to make the tradition last, observed Liu Tik-sang, a professor of humanities at the University of Science and Technology.

"Considering that a fast-changing modernization has taken place and many of original residents have moved out of Tai Hang, it is a blessing that the hardcore participants still get together for this special occasion. It shows an unbreakable bonding among them," said Liu.

Divided into 32 segments and supported by bamboo, the dragon is made of tightly wound aromatic bunches of reed, or "pearl grass", which is known for its therapeutic effect.

Apart from that, Chan told China Daily, the grass is thin yet strong enough to let people stab joss sticks into the body of the dragon.

The beast itself, is emblazoned with thousands of lighted joss sticks - longer lasting than the usual ones - and two torches that serve for the dragon's eyes.

The dragon is heavy. The head alone weighs 35 kilograms, the tail weighs 22 kg. It needs strong men - some as young as 13 if they are sturdily built - to take turns carrying the dragon for three hours each night when the ritual is performed.

"Believe it or not, even a strong young man can't hold the head for a distance of more than two shops," Chan said.

When the dragon is prepared, it chases two balls of fire simulated by boisterous, rhythmic drumming and the clashing of cymbals, many patterns of dance are performed and children dressed in traditional Chinese costumes hold lanterns.

At the end of the dancing parade on the final day, the dragon head is tossed into Causeway Bay harbor to signify the Dragon King returning to the sea.

No one dares to break the tradition. "One time we were invited to perform for a celebration at the handover which was held in July. It was only two months ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. We were wondering if we should have kept the dragon for the festival, but we finally decided to send it back to the sea, we couldn't keep it," Chan recalled.

Pakson Lau Pak-shing, 28, a long-time Causeway Bay resident, participated in the event in 2002 when he was a Secondary Six student along with his buddies. He said the hardest part was to endure the intense smoke from the ignited incense sticks that made his eyes water.

Lau admitted that he and his energetic friends were just a bunch of amateurs who had not gone through any training before participating. They basically followed what others did during the ritual. Nevertheless, the boys took part in a memorable event together. "It was great fun to have done something exciting like this with concerted efforts," he recalled.

Lau was fortunate because, participation normally is exclusive to residents in Tai Hang. Even if there are open spaces for volunteers, would-be participants must be referred by residents of the neighborhood.

Other than the Mid-Autumn Festival, the dragon has been called upon to bestow its health giving blessings . During the SARS epidemic in 2003, nine dragons were awakened to combat the deadly outbreak in nine districts across the city, besides the traditional site in Tai Hang.

A week later, Hong Kong was taken off the list of epidemic ports by the World Health Organization.

Dwindling interest among younger people, combined with the custom's rising costs, leave the future of the annual ritual in doubt, Chan said. The cost of building each dragon and holding the festival is HK$400,000.

The annual ritual now has been declared to be part of China's intangible cultural heritage. The fire dragon dance, together with Hong Kong's three other long-held traditions, the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, the Tai O dragon boat water parade and the Yu Lan Ghost Festival of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow community, received donations from the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Charities Trust. The dragon dance received a donation of HK$935,000 this year to organize the event until 2014.

"The Trust's funding goes directly to the hosting organizations of those four events to help cultivate traditional values and enhance social cohesion," said a spokeswoman for the Club. "The donation also includes supporting CACHe (Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage) to organize related educational programs for the public, especially the younger generation. The aim is to raise their awareness of heritage conservation, local culture and to foster among them a greater sense of belonging."

The heritage status does attract more spectators but it does not promise concrete support for keeping the festivals alive, said professor Liu.

"Money can help with the continuity of the custom but it can also destroy it," warned Liu. "The event has to be hosted spontaneously by its people, not because of money but their willingness to carry it forward."

To address potential shortage of young participants, Liu suggested the organization open its doors to newcomers and encourage them to take part.

Chan Tak-fai is well aware of the phenomenon and said festival organizers welcome all residents, including foreigners, to be part of the team and learn the dance.

"The fire dragon dance isn't just a show, it coheres people who reside here," Liu stressed. "Every district should develop its culture or tradition which can give people a greater sense of belonging to their neighborhood."

A kid hangs colorful lanterns under the full moon at the Victoria Park, a traditional activity of families to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Edmond Tang / China Daily

(HK Edition 09/26/2012 page4)