Bendigo’s imperial dragon Sun Loong will awaken next month to parade in Melbourne – the first time he will parade outside his home city since his arrival in Bendigo in 1970.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 100-metre dragon will parade at the Melbourne Museum plaza in Carlton on Sunday, February 11.
The free event will start at 12.30pm at 11 Nicholson Street.
Golden Dragon Museum general manager Anita Jack said the opportunity came through conversations with Regional Development Victoria and Creative Victoria.
“It is a great way for us to bring tourists back to Bendigo and into region by highlighting what we have here in Sun Loong,” she said.
“After parading outside the museum and surrounding gardens, Sun Loong will into on display in Melbourne Museum for several weeks.”
Sun Loong will return to Bendigo at the end of February ahead of his performance in the gala parade at the Bendigo Easter Festival on Easter Sunday (April 1). This year’s Bendigo Easter parade will be Sun Loong’s last solo performance before he is joined by new dragon Dai Gum Loong.
Ms Jack said it was also a unique opportunity to see Sun Loong perform twice in one year before he retires to have conservation work done on him.
“It is a rare occasion but it’s great for people of Victoria,” she said. “Once we start conservation work on him, we won’t parade him for (at least) two years.”
Teams from the Golden Dragon and Melbourne museums will spend several days carefully packing Sun Loong for his journey to Melbourne.
“Moving Sun Loong is not something you do in a day. It takes quite a long time to pack him and then unpack and build him,” Ms Jack said.
“The Melbourne Museum has a conservation support team and one of the reasons why we’re grateful for this is that Sun Loong will have professional care and maintenance.”
People wishing to carry Sun Loong in Melbourne can register at the Golden Dragon Museum from Tuesday.
Sun Loong is headed for retirement as early as 2019 as the push to bring a new people’s dragon to the Bendigo continues.
This year, he will again parade solo at the Bendigo Easter festival, but it is hoped he will be joined by his replacement – Dai Gum Loong – in 2019.
The Sun Loong 750 campaign is aiming to raise $750,000 to fund three projects – replacing Sun Loong with new dragon Dai Gum Loong, preserving and repairing Sun Loong and purchasing the regalia and costumes to accompany Dai Gum Loong.
People who want to donate can do so at any Bendigo Bank branch or by visiting the Golden Dragon Museum. You can also visit www.daigumloong.com.au