The second month of the lunar calendar, with bright spring sunshine, marks the time when the Dragon rises from the eastern horizon, hence it is called "Dragon Head Raising." Want to learn more about the Dragon Head Raising festival? The lunar "second day of the second month" is commonly known as "Dragon Head Raising," symbolizing the beginning of spring farming and the hope for favorable weather and bountiful harvests. Huayi Network has even more traditional customs of the second lunar month that you may not know.

Explanation of the Origin of Dragon Head Raising

The term "Dragon Head Raising" comes from ancient astronomy. In ancient times, people chose twenty-eight groups of stars near the ecliptic and celestial equator as coordinates to observe celestial phenomena.
Ancient people divided the stars near the ecliptic into twenty-eight groups based on the movement path and position of the sun, moon, and stars, which are commonly known as the "Twenty-Eight Mansions." "Mansion" refers to a place of residence. Because these stars surround the sun, moon, and five planets in all directions, they resemble places where the sun, moon, and planets rest, so they are called "mansions." The "Twenty-Eight Mansions" are divided into four groups according to the four directions—Eastern Azure Dragon, Western White Tiger, Southern Vermilion Bird, and Northern Black Tortoise. The seven mansions in the East are called: "Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, Ji." These seven mansions form a complete dragon-shaped star pattern, known as the "Azure Dragon of the East." Among them, Jiao mansion represents the dragon's horn, Kang mansion represents the dragon's throat, Di mansion represents the dragon's claws, Xin mansion represents the dragon's heart, and Wei and Ji mansions represent the dragon's tail.
In winter, these seven mansions of the Azure Dragon are hidden below the northern horizon. During the period between Awakening of Insects and Spring Equinox, Jiao mansion (Jiao One Star and Jiao Two Star) begins to appear from the eastern horizon. At this time, the whole body of the Azure Dragon is still hidden below the horizon, only Jiao mansion is slightly visible, hence it is called "Dragon Head Raising." "Dragon Head Raising" refers to the appearance and disappearance of the group of stars of the Azure Dragon in the sky, not an actual animal dragon changing its shape. The cycle of appearance and disappearance of the Azure Dragon's seven mansions aligns with the annual agricultural cycle. When spring farming begins, the Azure Dragon's seven mansions start to slowly rise on the eastern horizon, with the bright head of the dragon—the Jiao mansion—being the first to appear. When summer crops grow, the Azure Dragon is high above the southern night sky. By autumn, when the crops are harvested, the Azure Dragon begins to descend in the west. In winter, when all things lie dormant, the Azure Dragon is hidden below the northern horizon. Ancient people referred to the emergence of the Azure Dragon's seven mansions on the eastern horizon during mid-spring as "the Dragon Appears in the Field" (i.e., "Dragon Head Raising"). They also referred to the Azure Dragon's seven mansions rising to the southern middle of the sky during mid-summer as "the Dragon Soars in the Sky." There are other expressions such as "The Dragon in the High Place Repents" and "A Group of Dragons Without a Leader," corresponding to different seasonal celestial phenomena.
Dragon Head Raising signifies the emergence of yang energy from the earth, prompting various hibernating creatures to become active. Thunder begins to roll, rainfall increases, and temperatures rise, bringing vitality to all living things and marking the beginning of spring farming. During the Dragon Head Raising period, many areas south of the Yangtze River have already begun to enter the rainy season, and thunder starts to sound. In the Yuan Dynasty, the lunar "second day of the second month" was called "Dragon Head Raising." From a seasonal perspective, "the second day of the second month" falls between the solar terms of "Rain Water," "Awakening of Insects," and "Spring Equinox." There are many activities related to "Dragon Head Raising" on the second day of the second month, but regardless of the method, they all revolve around the beautiful belief in the dragon god. It is an activity where people place their hopes for survival. Across the country, due to differences in regions, local customs vary.

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