The first and only female Chief Music Leader of Hong Kong’s Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance on pushing boundaries and never staying still

The first and only female Chief Music Leader of Hong Kong’s Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance on pushing boundaries and never staying still

According to local lore, 1880 brought a series of misfortunes to the village of Tai Hang: a python devoured all the livestock, a typhoon lashed the village, and a devastating plague ravaged the community. Inspired by a prophetic dream received by a village elder from Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, the people of Tai Hang orchestrated a fire dragon dance that successfully dispelled the village’s misfortunes.

Tai Hang is no longer the small Hakka village it once was, but the annual tradition remains to ward off bad luck with a parade performed over the Mid-Autumn Festival. Renowned for its cultural significance, the mesmerizing three-day spectacle is now recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong.

Made from rattan, rope, and straw, and adorned with over 20,000 lit incense sticks along its 220-foot (67 m) body, the formidable fire dragon weaves through the streets amidst a haze of smoke and the resounding echo of gongs and drums, requiring the coordination of over 300 performers to bear the weight of the dragon.

Among these performers, one stands out: a woman, passionate about connecting people with their history and heritage, bringing them new experiences, while championing innovation and progress—values she shares with Hong Kong’s flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific.

Growing up in Tai Hang, the fire dragon has always been an integral part of Natural Chu’s life. “There’s a Chinese proverb that says those who stay close to vermilion will turn red, and those who stay close to ink will turn black,” says Chu, Chief Music Leader of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance.

As an active child, Chu engaged in extracurricular activities at the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association Center located just up the street from her home. Here at the fire dragon's home, she became acquainted with key figures, including Chan Tak-fai, the late Commander-in-Chief of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance affectionately known as Fai Gor, or Brother Fai.

“Fai Gor used to say I was quite naughty, always trying to get involved while they were building the dragon,” Chu reminisces. Starting as a Lotus Girl carrying lanterns in the parade, her curiosity and enthusiasm soon drew her to two drummers, Ar Leung and Dice Man, who took her under their wing, nurturing her growing interest in drumming. 

By the age of 18, Chu began playing drums for the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, and a few years later, she, Ar Leung, and Dice Man were promoted to Chief Music Leaders, marking Chu as the first and only woman to ever hold this title.