2021 - Vancouver - Chinatown - Fire Dragon
Vancouver’s first Fire Dragon Festival since 1975 was September 24-26, 2021. The weekend was a celebration of local Chinese food, art, culture and heritage.
A 70 foot long Fire Dragon, inspired by the century old tradition originating in Hong Kong was strung on the west wall of the Keefer Building (133 Keefer St.) for the event.
The colourful new Spirit Dragon community art installation – a collaboration between local artist Lam Wong and other members of the Bagua Artist Association was made primarily from recycled materials provided by neighbourhood businesses.
The display is an ideation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the toll it took on the Chinatown community. It was designed to boost spirits, and to hopefully disseminate its message of healing across Vancouver.
The legend of the spiritual creature representing good fortune goes back about 140 years to a small village in Hong Kong struck by a typhoon, suffered a python attack, and then hit by a plague.
An elder had a dream in which the Buddha told him the only way to put an end to so much misfortune was to build a dragon made of straw and hay, fill it with incense sticks, and dance throughout the village for three days and three nights.
The strategy worked, and the ritual has been kept alive ever since.
Yes, the lower part of the building wall is a favourite of graffiti vandals.
05 October:
Fire Dragon is no more, it was removed today.
2021 - Vancouver - Chinatown - Fire Dragon
Vancouver’s first Fire Dragon Festival since 1975 was September 24-26, 2021. The weekend was a celebration of local Chinese food, art, culture and heritage.
A 70 foot long Fire Dragon, inspired by the century old tradition originating in Hong Kong was strung on the west wall of the Keefer Building (133 Keefer St.) for the event.
The colourful new Spirit Dragon community art installation – a collaboration between local artist Lam Wong and other members of the Bagua Artist Association was made primarily from recycled materials provided by neighbourhood businesses.
The display is an ideation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the toll it took on the Chinatown community. It was designed to boost spirits, and to hopefully disseminate its message of healing across Vancouver.
The legend of the spiritual creature representing good fortune goes back about 140 years to a small village in Hong Kong struck by a typhoon, suffered a python attack, and then hit by a plague.
An elder had a dream in which the Buddha told him the only way to put an end to so much misfortune was to build a dragon made of straw and hay, fill it with incense sticks, and dance throughout the village for three days and three nights.
The strategy worked, and the ritual has been kept alive ever since.
Yes, the lower part of the building wall is a favourite of graffiti vandals.
05 October:
Fire Dragon is no more, it was removed today.