130 legs and a 27kg head: world's longest imperial dragon unveiled – in pictures
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Dai Gum Loong parades through Bendigo at Australia’s oldest cultural festival. Photograph: David Hawkswood
The Victorian city of Bendigo ‘awakened’ its newest Chinese dragon – thought to be the longest imperial dragon in the world – at one of Australia’s oldest cultural festivals, which dates back to the gold rush. The three-day Easter festival featured parades, fire crackers, music, markets and dance – and a hunt for 170,000 chocolate eggs hidden through Rosalind Park
Photos by David Hawkswood; text by Guardian staff
Sun 21 Apr 2019 21.43 EDT
Dai Gum Loong, Bendigo’s new Chinese dragon, was unveiled at a ritual awakening on Saturday: a ceremony involving 100,000 fire crackers that dates back to 1892 during the gold rush, which brought an influx of Chinese people to the regional Victorian town.
Photograph: David Hawkswood
Until recently, Bendigo was the only place in the world which celebrated this ritual – and Dai Gum Loong is only the third new imperial dragon the city has welcomed. He is also the first male dragon in Bendigo to be carried by women as well as men.
Photograph: David Hawkswood
The dragon measures 125 metres, and comprises 6,000 individual scales and 100,000 mirrors – a particularity of imperial dragons that require special craftsmanship. Dai Gum Loong, created by dragon maker Master Hui Ka Hung, requires 65 people to carry him.
Photograph: David Hawkswood
His head alone weighs 27 kilograms.
Photograph: David Hawkswood
The Easter festival was a three-day affair that culminated on Sunday, when Dai Gum Loong wove through streets lined with 80,000 people, according to the festival promoters. On Friday, 170,000 chocolate eggs were hidden in Rosalind Park; a hunt began at 9am with three-year-olds, opening up to progressively older children as the day continued.
Photograph: David Hawkswood