春节，是中国人最重视的节日，“烧火龙”是节日期间最震撼民间活动之一，此活动源于东汉(25—220年)，盛于宋代(960—1279年)。

The Spring Festival holds great significance for the Chinese people, and the ‘Fire Dragon’ stands out as one of the most impressive events during this festival. This activity originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD) and flourished in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD).

在中国四川省黄龙溪古镇，“烧火龙”的习俗已经历了上千年的变迁。古镇的百姓提前制作一条“龙”，大年三十“请龙”，请镇上长辈为“龙”画上眼睛。第二天一早，舞龙人会上街“游龙”，晚上就到了最激动人心的环节——烧火龙。表演者将传统技艺“打铁花”与舞龙结合，将生铁熬制成超过1500℃的可流动铁水，用特制竹筒舀起一匙铁水抛向空中，再把木板用力一挥，铁水瞬间炸开宛如星辰坠落。而舞龙人在炸开的铁花中穿梭，观众即可看见一条在火中翻腾的龙。

In Huanglongxi Ancient Town, Sichuan Province, China, the tradition of ‘Fire Dragon’ has undergone millennia of evolution. The residents of the ancient town create a ‘dragon’ in advance, ‘decorate it’ on Chinese New Year’s Eve, and invite the elders of the town to paint the eyes for this ‘dragon’. Early the next morning, performers of the dragon dance ‘parade the dragon’ on streets until the evening to present the most exciting section - Fire Dragon, a combination of the traditional skill ‘molten iron fireworks’ and dragon dance. After boiling pig iron until it becomes flowable molten iron at over 1,500 degrees Celsius, performers scoop up a spoonful of molten iron with a special bamboo tube and throw it into the air, swinging the wooden board heavily. In this way, the molten iron instantly spatters and descends like falling stars. As performers of the dragon dance shuttle through the spattering molten iron fireworks, the audience witnesses a dragon twisting in the fire.

在见证绚烂的同时，也有不少人好奇，“铁水是怎么变成铁花的?”“表演者打铁花会不会烫到自己?”“舞龙有什么技巧?”本期灵感中国，带你走进“烧火龙”的奥秘。

After witnessing the splendor, many people can’t help but wonder: “How does the molten iron turn into molten iron fireworks?” “Will performers burn themselves when they perform molten iron fireworks?” “What are the techniques of dragon dance?” Stay tuned for this episodeof Inspiration, where we will decode the ‘Fire Dragon’ for you.