Mr. Lau formed a Moonlight Dragon Team in 1997, he called for the participation of Wing Chun practitioners. The performance of Moonlight Dragon Team became a climax in the celebrating event for the Reunification of Hong Kong and China in 1997 by Wushu fields. This spurred Moonlight Dragon Dance on to popularity. Having achieved its goals, the Wing Chun Moonlight Dragon Team retired from its mission there after.

Photo took at Tai Po school after practice

Dragon eye - dotting by Mr Henry Fok, Vice Chairman of the NPCC

The Story of Wing Chun Moonlight Dragon

Some Wing Chun disciples ask me: "where was the moonlight dragon born. You said the one in the Handover Ceremony 1997 is the first in Hong Kong, but someone holds that the moonlight dragon of China Traditional Martial Arts Association appeared in 1993." Can you account for this?

Wing Chun moonlight dragon actually came into being at the time of reunification of the Wushu circle of Hong Kong and mainland China in 1997. Six martial arts associations discussed how to celebrate the reunification ceremony. China Traditional Martial Arts Association withdrew its participation for some reason in the end. It was Hong Kong Dragon Lion Unicorn & Pai Yau Dance Sports Association who took charge of dragon dancing, lion dancing, Unicorn and Pai Yau dancing programs. I turned down the request by the person in charge from that association to be leader of all sports teams and selected moonlight dragon dancing. Yip Man Martial Arts Athletic Association considered that all co-disciples shall participate in this grand occasion and Wong Chun Leung, chairman of the Wing Chun Athletic Association, gave his support afterwards. We then undertook this historical task and organized Wing Chun co-disciples for the team.

Why do we say it was the first moonlight dragon in Hong Kong? Readers may get clarity of the question below.

In November 1993, China Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Association, commissioned by the Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs, gave moonlight dragon dance performance to inaugurate the Hong Kong Stadium after its decoration and repair works finished. China Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Association (Chinese Association) invited a Malaysian team to perform moonlight dragon dance and other shows like Brazilian Samba show and so on. Since the multicolored light radiated by moonlight dragon can be seen only in a dark environment and the Stadium administration forbade turning off the lamp for fear of potential danger and chaos, the moonlight dragon, performing under the light, failed to represent its elegance. What people saw that night was only a colored dragon. Furthermore, the dragon team members were invited from Malaysia. They gave the old dragon to the Chinese Association later on.

Wing Chun moonlight dragon dance is the original one performed totally by Hong Kong people. It’s illogical to consider a dragon to be a moonlight one before its actual performance as a moonlight dragon. Cheung Kwok Wah, the master of white crane school, has a new moonlight dragon which has never been put into performance and he never dare say his dragon is the original moonlight dragon. On July 6, 1997, Wing Chun moonlight dragon team officially gave sensational performance in Wanchai Elizabeth Stadium where the Hong Kong’s Handover Ceremony was celebrated by Hong Kong Wushu practitioners. Mr Fok Ying Tung - a real patriotic eye-dotted the dragon which was applauded for its historic performance in an unlighted darkness. Dragon Dance Grandmaster - Ha Kwok Cheung offered his congratulations and took a photo with Wing Chun Learners.

Dragon Dance Grandmaster - Ha Kwok Cheung took a photo with Wing Chun Moonlight Dragon Team Members for congratulations.