江苏留学网

The dragon dance team of international students from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications pose for a photo after completing their performance in Yangzhong, Jiangsu province on March 8. [Photo/njupt.edu.cn]

Wooing spectators by their skills in manipulating a "dragon", a team made up of 20 international students from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications took the gold prize at a national dragon dance competition in Yangzhong, Jiangsu province, March 8. 

The day marks the Longtaitou Festival, or Dragon-Head-Raising Festival, falling on the second day of the second lunar month each year signifying the start of spring and the resumption of farming after the winter. 

With the dragon dance being a traditional celebration of the festival, the day also saw a gathering of a group of students from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Liberia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, showing their enthusiasm for the traditional art, as well as their dedication to Chinese culture.

A team of international students from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications perform a dragon dance show on March 8. [Photo/njupt.edu.cn]

Accompanied by stirring music and drumbeats, the youngsters impressed the visitors with their fluent and flexible movements – raising the poles high into the sky for the imitation of a dragon lifting off, and running in circles mimicking the behemoth hovering in the sky. 

Mixed with exotic dances, the performers marked the show with distinctive features and pushed the competition to new heights. 

A team member named Rock was excited to share his feelings after the race, "it is enjoyable practicing the traditional art while immersing in Chinese culture." 

He and his coach agreed that they had to overcome many difficulties during the starting period, but added the hardship has stimulated their dedication to dragon dancing. 

Dragons are an auspicious symbol in Chinese culture with it believed to bring good luck and the longer the dragon is in the dance, the more luck it will bring to the community. 

The dragon dance competition gained solid support from the International Dragon and Lion Dance Federation, the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Dragon-lion Association and the Yangzhong municipal government.

A team of international students from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications perform a dragon dance show on March 8. [Photo/njupt.edu.cn]