It is said that the Dance of Burning Incense Dragon originated from the folk activities of worshipping dragons to stop rain and flood in history, and its image mainly comes from the murals and sculptures of dragons in the local temples. 

 

 

The burning incense dragon is mainly made of straw, palm leaves, bamboo slices, bamboo poles and special dragon incense produced in Rucheng. It is made with local traditional tying techniques. It is held in the night before and after the Lantern Festival. It’s been handed down in 14 towns of Rucheng County.

 

The burning incense dragon is made with complex techniques and a wide variety of patterns. There are round, flat and special sulfonic dragons. The dragon’s head is complex and exquisite. 

 

 

Its performance set consists of six parts, including sacrifice, dragon invocation, parade and exhibition, incense snatching, and dragon transformation. During the performance, the scene is spectacular with bright incense and warm atmosphere. 

 

In 2006, the Dance of Burning Incense Dragon was included in the first batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage items. In 2008, it was included on the second representative list of national ICH items.