The dragon dance was already popular in the Sung dynasty (960-1279 A.D.). It has continued to be so up to the present. The dragon mask and boy used for the dance may be gold, green, variegated, or scarlet red. The dance may be performed in daylight or at night. If performed at night, it is usually preceded by someone carrying a blazing torch to illuminate the procession.

The length of the dragon varies from seven to 24 sections long; each section measuring from about five to six and a half feet (1.5 to 1.9 meter). The procession moves with the momentum of a tidal wave, and is a lifelike portrayal of a celestial dragon.