North America’s longest Chinese-style dragon -- measuring 100m in length and owned by the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Canada participates in the festivities of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on February 14, 2010 at 3:00pm Pacific time at the Richmond Oval.

With a second, shorter dragon, these symbolically rich “reptiles” take part in a rarely seen, spectacular, double-dragon dance at the O Zone celebration site on Chinese New Year.

Can ancient Chinese tradition help bring favorable weather for the 2010 Winter Olympics?

The International Taoist Tai Chi Society – whose U.S. headquarters are in Tallahassee, Florida -- will be doing its part, on the Games’ opening weekend, by performing a spectacular and rarely-seen Double Dragon Dance with North America’s longest Chinese-style dragon.

The 330-foot-long dragon and its smaller cousin will wend their sinuous and noisy way through the O-Zone Olympic celebration site in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond starting at 3pm Sunday Feb. 14 – also the start of Chinese New Year -- and coinciding with a mass demonstration of tai chi.

The dragon figure is known in Chinese culture as the master of weather – a major concern for supporters and participants in the Vancouver 2010 Games. There are various legends about the origins of the Dragon Dance, but a common theme is that its performance at New Year assures favorable weather for the whole year.

The dragon also symbolizes prosperity, power, dignity, fertility and harmony.

Taoist Tai Chi Society members will carry the dragons in two shifts of 70 people each. Choreography includes the dragon’s pursuit of a “pearl”, carried aloft by a dancer and representing wisdom.

Situated on an island in the Fraser River delta, Richmond is an especially appropriate setting for the Dragon Dance. In Chinese culture, a river-mouth city that is prosperous and developed is often called a “pearl”, while the river symbolizes the dragon in pursuit of its wisdom.

As dragons pursue pearls, new immigrants from China -- who often call themselves “Descendants of the Dragon” as a sign of ethnic identity -- find Richmond an attractive place in which to live.

The International Taoist Tai Chi Society is a collection of affiliated charitable or not-for-profit organizations in 26 countries with 40,000-plus members worldwide. In the United States, the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA oversees classes in about 30 states from its national centre in Tallahassee. The Society promotes well-being in the community through the practice of the Taoist Tai Chi ™ internal arts of health. The International Society was founded in 1970 by Master Moy Lin-shin.

For more information about the Society in 26 countries worldwide, visit www.taoist.org. In the US, http://usa.taoist.org. The Pacific region center is at 588 East 15th Ave., Vancouver, phone 604-681-6609.