The Dragon Bombing event is one of the Hakka 12 festivals and an annual tradition held during the Lantern Festival. It’s a dragon-welcoming celebration that originated from the Chinese dragon dance. During the ritual, the performers maneuver the dragon in a dance while others set off a lot of firecrackers and beehive rockets to “kill” the evil spirits – a symbol of getting rid of what’s old -- to welcome the New Year.
HAC Minister Yiong said that “bombing the dragon,” which is full of mythological and legendary flavor, is the most exciting celebratory event during the Lunar New Year holidays in Miaoli’s Hakka villages. Yiong mentioned that, having been well hosted by the Miaoli City Office for 24 years, the festive event becomes an important local cultural asset passed down from generation to generation. The Minister thanked all the participants for their hard work and enthusiasm invested in the religious festival even amid the corona virus pandemic.
Noting that Premier Su Chen-chang (蘇貞昌), at the National Language Development Convention in 2021, expressed his hope that native languages in Taiwan can remain alive, Minister Yiong also expects that, through speaking the Hakka to preserve the cultural cohesiveness, the ethnic language will become the common language in Hakka regions.
Held online last year to avoid crowds due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this year’s Dragon Bombing event resumed the public gathering. Many visitors said it’s a heart-touching experience to see vibrant dragon dances, through which people pray for a disaster-free and peaceful year.
