THE LEGEND OF THE FIRE DRAGON
The origin of Fire Dragon Dance can be traced to over hundred years ago in Tai Hang, Hong Kong. After suffering from a storm, the people of Pok Fu Lam Village were attacked by a snake that destroyed the village's peace. The villagers caught and killed the snake but in the days following the snake's death, plague broke out in Tai Hang.
A village elder proclaimed Buddha came to him in a dream, advising that to stop the misfortune, they must perform a fire dragon dance around the village for three days and three nights. The villagers obliged and miraculously, the plague went away. Thus began the tradition of the Fire Dragon.
To this day, the Fire Dragon Dance is the main activity of the Mid-Autumn celebration in Pok Fu Lam, and is a traditional custom of the Hakka ethnic group from China.
CHINATOWN CELEBRATION SOCIETY
The Fire Dragon Festival is produced by the Chinatown Celebration Society. Members of the former Legacy Stewardship Group of Chinatown saw a need to preserve the Fire Dragon Festival to continue the mandate of promoting the culture and heritage of Vancouver’s Chinatown. Since 2022, the Chinatown Celebration Society has organized this important, community-centred festival recognizing that the residents are at the core of our living community.
Our aim is to highlight spaces in our community through event activation and community participation. The Chinatown Celebration Society would like to thank the many community partners that have helped to make the Fire Dragon Festival a success year after year.