By Yan Yiran

On February 15th, the 18th day of the first lunar month, Xi'ao Village in Changjie Town, Ninghai County hosted a spectacular folk event that has endured for over 770 years—the "Dragon Parade".

Around 8 p.m., three resounding drumbeats signaled the start of the celebration as fireworks erupted over Chengxiang Park. Two giant dragon-shaped lanterns—one cyan, one white—emerged from opposite ends of a street.

Each dragon, towering over three meters high with bodies stretching nearly forty meters long, made their first encounter on an ancient bridge. When their whiskers touched, the sound of drums and music reached a crescendo, and the crowd cheered.

The event officially began at 8:08 p.m., as the two enormous dragons, carried by over a hundred strong men, wound through the village. They passed local landmarks such as Jifu Temple and Shatou Temple.

"In Xi'ao Village, the Spring Festival is just a prelude to the 'actual New Year', which falls the 18th day of the first lunar month," said Chen Longfei, a local resident. On this day, villagers return home from afar to pray for health and prosperity in the coming year.

After an hour, the two dragons completed their journey through the village and reunited at the bridge, before entering an ancient temple for a blessing ceremony.

Chen Wanzhen, a leading figure in preserving the Xi'ao "Dragon Parade" tradition, shared that this practice dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty over 770 years ago.

Traditional bamboo weaving, wood carving, and painting techniques are used to create the majestic dragons, adding to their cultural significance. The Xi'ao "Dragon Parade" is now listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage, solidifying its status as a unique legacy of Ninghai.