"For the untrained eye, Tai Ji Men’s Dragon Dance might appear to be merely a cultural showcase. It is undoubtedly a colorful and vibrant performance of Chinese cultural heritage, which is made possible by hand-crafting artisanal dragon heads and sometimes dozens of meters-long dragon bodies. This massive mythical creature is then brought to life by syncretizing the movements of , who are led by the dragon ball, before the creature’s head. For scholars of religion, however, the arduous preparation process and the practice of the Dragon Dance also unveil further interpretative layers."