This week marks the final day the celebration of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, a lunar calendar event that occurs once every 12 years. Dragon years have deep psychological resonance for the Chinese, as the dragon symbolizes transformation. But the trajectory of that transformation is not always for the better: the dragon has two faces, and it's never clear which side will be revealed
During the last Dragon year, 2000, China saw tremendous economic growth and prosperity. But in perhaps the worst Dragon year in modern Chinese history, 1976, an earthquake demolished the city of Tangshan, killing and injuring nearly a million people. On the other hand, in that same year Mao Zedong, China's long-time dictator, died, ushering in a new era for China. The outlook for the new 2012 Dragon year is unclear, but signs point to a growing struggle for freedom, in which the forces of government control and corruption will be challenged by citizens empowered through the internet.
For me, the Year of the Dragon recalls the remote town where I grew up, Dragon Mountain, in Hunan Province. The town was named for the mountains that encircle it, which resemble a long, sleeping dragon. The most exciting time of the year for me was the Chinese New Year, when I eagerly awaited the arrival of thousands of peasants from nearby villages who would pour into town to perform their unique dragon dances.
A few dozen young men from each village would form a team to show off and compete against teams from other villages. They rolled, ran, and jumped, mimicking the imagined movements that demonstrated the power and magnificence of the dragon. The performances came to a noisy, chaotic ending with teams dancing all over the town hoisting large dragon heads and long dragon bodies high above the crowd as if the dragons were flying. The thundering sound of firecrackers exploding at my feet and above my head was simultaneously deafening and dazzling.
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