Tai Hang Fire Dragon

非物質文化遺產
"龍獅文化" 集郵品

Intangible Cultural Heritage
"Dragon and Lion Dance"
Philatelic Products Special Stamps

大坑火龍起源

大坑火龍 , 始於公元一八八零年 , 距今己有百多年矣 . 火龍創立前 , 大坑區原為一客家農村 , 人口稀少 , 村民多以耕種 , 打石 , 捕魚為生 , 日出而作 ,日落而息 , 生活頗為清淡 . 據傳本村受某次風災蹂躪後 , 發現一大蟒蛇 , 為村民擊弊 , 送警署處理 , 時值夜深 , 放下後 , 翌晨蛇屍 , 不翼而飛 , 不料數日後 , 大坑村發生瘟疫 , 死人無數 , 村民惶惶不可終日 . 後村中父老 , 獲菩薩報夢 , 言於中秋佳節 , 舞火龍繞村遊行 , 燃炮竹 , 可驅瘟疫矣 . 炮竹內含琉璜白藥 , 加以香火 , 經薰蒸後 , 此古老良方 , 果然奏效 , 村民大喜 , 自始每年紮製火龍 , 巡行全村 , 祈求合境平安 . 火龍全長二百二十英尺 , 除龍頭龍尾外 , 龍身分三十二節 ,全用珍珠草包紮而成 , 全身滿插長壽香 , 故又名 <火龍 > 每年中秋節前後天 , 在區內由三百多名青年輪流揮動起舞 , 巡迴各大小街道表演 , 配以燈飾 , 龍鼓音樂 , 頗為壯觀 .

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon has its origin in 1880 . At that time , Tai Hang was only a small Hakka village and the villagers , most of them farmers and fishermen , Led a simple and peaceful life . The tale started when the villagers once killed a serpent in a stormy night , but in the next morning , the dead body of the serpent had disappeared . A few days later , a plague spread out in Tai Hang and many people died of infection . Meanwhile , a village elder saw Buddha one night in his dream and was told to perform a Fire Dragon Dance and to burn fire crackers in the Mid-Autumn Festival. The sulphur in the fire crackers drove away the disease and the villagers were saved. Since then , every year the Tai Hang residents would perform the Fire Dragon Dance for three nights in the Mid-Autumn Festival in memory of the incident. The Fire Dragon is altogether 220 feet long with its body divided into 32 segments , all of which are stuffed with straw and stuck full of incense sticks , So it is known as the “ Fire-Dragon ” .