London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival 2007. "Dragon Dance"

From the Kut O Chinese Association - the Medway Dragon team perform the amazing dragon dance routine.

Dragons were believed to be the Governors of rainfall in ancient China and the dragon dance, with its origins over 2,000 years ago, was seen as a way of appeasing the Dragon King into releasing much needed rain over the parched farm land during a drought.

In these pictures you see a young boy carrying a pearl (ball) on a pole. The pearl in the dance represents both the Sun and Wisdom.

The dragon chases the pearl during the dance to symbolise its continual pursuit of wisdom.

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