On the night of September 29, 2023, the streets of a usually quiet Hong Kong neighborhood were filled with thousands of excited people. They were coming to watch the city’s fire dragon dance.
Hundreds of volunteers lifted up the dragon and danced along the streets of the Tai Hang neighborhood. “I feel very excited—everyone is.” said Cheung Leung, a member of the fire dragon dance committee.
Cheung, who has been part of the event for 20 years, said organizers have been practicing their performance since March. “The head of the dragon weighs at least 40 kg after we put the incense (香) on,” he said. “The key to a good performance is having a lot of strength (力气).”
The dance is a traditional event of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong. Its history can date back to 1880. It is said to drive away the plague (瘟疫) from Tai Hang village. “This is an interesting tradition of Hong Kong,” said Kelly Liu, who saw the dance for the first time.
A local retiree (退休人员) and his wife were hoping to get some of the incense from the dragon—seen as a sign of good luck. “I’ve been watching this for many years—so many that I couldn’t count,” he said.
The event was accepted as an intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) by China in 2011. A museum was built for it and opened in 2022 in Tai Hang.
【小题1】What were the people coming to the streets for?| A．Meeting their friends | B．Going for a group walk |
| C．Joining a dance party | D．Watching a big performance |
| A．smart | B．strong | C．tall | D．rich |
| A．drive away the plague | B．show respect to the old |
| C．help people exercise | D．get people together for pleasure |
| A．The event means a lot to local people. | B．The event is celebrated around China. |
| C．The event used to catch little attention. | D．The event has brought many visitors to Tai Hang. |
| A．Sports | B．Business | C．Culture | D．Travel |
