Dragon Dance —Legend of Chinese New Year
A Long long time ago, the Heavenly Emperor was upset by the Chinese people's disrespect toward the Gods. As a punishment, he proclaimed a seven year draught. After the first year, many of the rice crop failed. By the second year, many of the fruit trees withered and by the fifth year, the ponds, lake and even many rivers are totally dried up. The land was perch and cracked and millions died. Out of great compassion, the Dragon Princess Ling begged her father to bring the water from the sea to the people. But the King refused for to disobey the Heavenly Emperor's decreed is to court death. Yet, the Dragon Princess Ling could hear the moaning of little babies crying with hunger for their mother's dried up breast milk.

One dark night, the Princess Ling flew from the ocean to China—bringing with her a dense cloud of water. Baby woke up frightened by the sound of the rain—for they had never heard of it before. The old people ran out with pots and pans to gather the precious rain. The draught had ended with the Princess Ling bringing the rain. Other dragons joined her and the people were ecstatic when they saw the silver long forms of dragons.

Heavenly Emperor heard of this and were furious that the ring leader was a little dragon princess, Ling. She took all the blame for breaking the draught and as her punishment. The Heaven Emperor ordered that she would be chopped into pieces and thrown down to the people to let them know that he was still the King.

Crying with shock and disbelieves, the people tenderly gathered all her pieces and sew them together with long silks. They hold the pieces up with a stick and started to weave them to try to bring her back to life. The people also put bamboo in the fire to give out a loud crack to wake her spirit and chase away the evil spirit.

Every New Year, the people remembered her great sacrifice and reenacted the whole Dragon Dance with the sound of fire crackers. With the different cultural taste, the Southern Chinese preferred a smaller form of Dragon dances—the Lion Dance but if you observe the Lion's head, it has a horn in the forehead. The Lion is another version of a smaller form of Dragon.

Meaning of the legend: The Chinese people from the beginning of time had shown a remarkable ability to understand the intricate working of nature. The relationship between rain and oceanic wind pattern. They know that water vapor were originated from the sea and endowed the dragon with rain making ability. Chinese dragon is benevolent in their spirit and benefit the people—contrasting to the western myth of a cold lecherous lizard-like dragon who captures virgin and hog treasure perhaps it is a religious backlash in the west toward the Older religious practice of the Serpent Power, as in Kundalinni of the Hindu Yoga. It also reflected the difference attitude between East and West toward sexual energy and impulses—the dragon symbolizes fertility and life, just like the snake in the biblical story of Eden.

Deeper meaning toward our Dantao Qigong practice—our Wutang Neigong Taiji Quan and Qigong originated from the Taoist Lung Meng—Dragon Gate—Sect of Complete Reality School of Internal Alchemy. The serpentine motion of the Dragon is the core and heart of our movements. When we move in Taiji and Qigong— each motion interweaves every bones like a sonic wave to the top of the head.