An aerial view of the dragon dance performance in Suichang county of Lishui, Zhejiang province on Feb 20 [Photo by Zhang Jianhui/Xinhua]

Nine dragons made with different shapes and materials were held high and waved around by villagers in Suichang county of Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province on Feb 20 to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

A traditional performance in the county, the dragon dance is hailed as a festive practice to extend people's prayers for harvest in the coming year. The forceful movements and postures of dragons reflect villagers' strong determination and keen expectations for the New Year.

Coiled at the square center was the "old dragon" from Xiaomabu village which has a history of over 200 years. The dragon is 200 meters long and requires nearly 100 people to hold it up. It was the longest and most imposing among the nine dragons.

The others, made from wood, cloth, bamboo or straw, were shorter and with different features. All of them were designed and performed vividly.

Suichang, located in the southwest of Zhejiang province, was founded over 1,800 years ago. The dragon dance performance during the Spring Festival dates back to Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In 1593, the renowned playwright Tang Xianzu was appointed as the director of the county. To celebrate the arrival of the Chinese New Year, Tang proposed to organize a dragon dance performance during the Spring Festival which has been handed down and become a time-honored folklore in today's Suichang.

The spectators acclaim the dragon dance performance in the county of Suichang, Zhejiang province on Feb 20. [Photo by Zhang Jianhui/Xinhua]