The colourful Chinese dragon has become a popular feature at events and celebrations. Traditionally it was confined within the Chinese community but in recent years its popularity has spread around the world and the Chinese dragon appears regularly at multicultural of events.
The dragon can be seen in a variety of costumes - red, gold, green or even mixted colours - and , depending on the number of people carrying the dragon, can range from 30 to 100 metres long.
The Shaolin Dragon Troupe has a 9-person dragon, with an additional person who carries the pole with the pearl. It is accompanied by a group of musicians, playing the drum, gong or cymbals. The performance can be anything from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the occasion.
The Shaolin Dance Troupe has appeared regularly on the BBC. For over 18 years it has featured in events in London's Chinatown. For the year of the dragon in 1988 it was given the honour of meeting the Prince of Wales for the film premiere of 'The Last Emperor'. In February 2000, which was another year of the dragon, it was again given the honour of welcoming the Prince of Wales to Chinatown.