阅读理解
Dragon Dance (舞龙) is a kind of traditional dance in Chinese culture. It has been spread all over China and to the whole world.
Traditionally, dragons were made of wood and cloth. However, in the modem times, dragons are much lighter because they are made of lighter materials like plastics. The length (长度) of dragons can be from around 25 to 35 meters for acrobatic (杂技的) models, and up to 50 to 70 meters for the largest parade (游行) styles because people believe that the longer the dragon is, the more luck it will bring. A small organization cannot run a very long dragon because it requires great human power, much money and special skills.
The Dragon Dance itself began during the Han Dynasty. And it was started by the Chinese who had shown great respect towards the dragon. It was already a popular event during the Song Dynasty. At that time, it became a popular activity like the Lion Dance. People could often see it during some important festivals. In the Qing Dynasty, the Dragon Dance Team of Fuzhou was invited to put on a show in Beijing. And the emperor (皇帝) spoke highly of it. The emperors of ancient China thought themselves as the dragons.
