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‘One dragon, one heart’: how Hong Kong dragon dance team develops a sense of belonging while igniting community spirit

  • Dragon dance performers taking part in Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations at Hong Kong’s Lee Tung Avenue later in September explain how they’re ‘like family’
  • Strengthening social connections can boost volunteers’ mental health, an expert says, whether performing cultural traditions or aiding in disaster recovery

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Dragon dancers perform with an 18-metre-long LED dragon at a previous iteration of the “Moon Fest Lumiere” Mid-Autumn Festival celebration at Lee Tung Avenue in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Photo: Lee Tung Avenue

Eight hundred giant lanterns, some shaped as rabbits and goldfish, dangle above Lee Tung Avenue in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district.

The colourful display is part of “Moon Fest Lumiere”, a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration that runs until October 23 with a highlight taking place on September 29: a glowing LED dragon that will dance its way from the avenue through nearby streets on a one-hour journey.

In Chinese culture, the dragon symbolises wisdom and wealth and is believed to bring good luck.

Hongkongers Andy Kwok Man-lung and Hu Ching-ham will take part in the dragon dance, a tradition dating back to the Han dynasty (206BC-AD220).

Andy Kwok (left), head coach and choreographer of Kwok’s Kungfu and Dragon Lion Dance Team, and team member Hu Ching-ham in Wan Chai on September 13, 2023. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Andy Kwok (left), head coach and choreographer of Kwok’s Kungfu and Dragon Lion Dance Team, and team member Hu Ching-ham in Wan Chai on September 13, 2023. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

At a coffee shop overlooking Lee Tung Avenue, the pair talk passionately about their shared love of dragon dance, which mixes martial arts, performance and dance moves and, like lion dance, is performed during important cultural celebrations.

“It’s a rich tradition that’s a fun way to stay active and boost confidence,” says Kwok, the head coach and choreographer of Kwok’s Kungfu and Dragon Lion Dance Team.

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