The cloth dragon dance of Beishan town in Changsha county was listed among the fifth batch of Changsha Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects, released on Dec 1.

First developed in the late Qing Dynasty (1840-1911), the dance requires 10 people with nine holding the dragon's body and one holding the pearl in its mouth.

The framework of the dragon is made from sticks of bamboo, with the skin and face made of cloth. It is smaller in size than the standard dragon props seen in other parts of China, making it more flexible and the dance able to be performed in a yard or a hall.

Beishan town's cloth dragons are smaller in size than the standard dragon props used in other parts of China. [Photo by Zeng Shiyi/csxrmt.com]

Yu Xiaoping, a retired official of Beishan town, recommended that the dance be included on the heritage list.

"Beishan cloth dragon dance is a waning practice," said Yu. "Hopefully being listed as an intangible cultural heritage is a chance to attract more young people to promote it."

Changsha county has three provincial intangible cultural heritages, namely, the Taogong Temple Fair, green tea making techniques in Jinjing town, and folk songs. On a municipal level, its laba bean making techniques and Changsha-style kuaiban, a fast-talking dialogue performance, have been included as heritages.