Feast of Drunken Dragon in Macao

On the 8th day of the fourth month every year on the Chinese lunar calendar, residents in Macao get together to celebrate the Feast of Drunken Dragon. The event honors a celestial dragon that mythically saved local people from the plague. The unique Drunken Dragon Dance is preformed on the occasion. But only those dancers who have enough wine get to participate.

The Drunken Dragon Dance originated in Zhongshan of South China's Guangdong Province. The Feast of Drunken Dragon is an extraordinary festival compared with other Chinese celebrations in Macao. The festival begins in the morning at the Kuan Tai Temple, near the Senado Square. People dressed in wooden heads and dragon tails, perform the dragon dance. Together with their dancing, the performers visit local shops, drinking wine until they are intoxicated. The big day ends with a grand dinner.

Li Wenwei, dancer, said, "Each of us needs to drink some wine, and then perform like this. The wine is around 30 percent alcohol, not that strong."

Elements of Kungfu have also been incorporated into the dance performance.

The Drunken Dragon Dance performers come from all walks of life in Macao, and represent multiple generations. But they all share the same love for this age-old tradition.

The Feast of Drunken Dragon is one of the most passionate festivals in Macao. By testing the endurance of the participants, the audience gets to enjoy a cheerful and jovial environment packed with excitement.

Now the local government of the Macao Special Administrative Region plans to make an application for the Drunken Dragon Dance to be included on UNESCO's cultural heritage list.