Description

07/24/07, Amonohashidate, Japan. One of my favorites. At a Buddhist Festival that was, hands down, the most powerful performance I have ever seen. Staged on a flatboat in the channel, huge, golden dragons, supported by tall poles carried by dancers, writhed and raged across the revolving bridge--an amazing spectacle against the backdrop of the night sky. The music was alternately haunting, poignant and intensely dramatic. The wise Monju-Bosatsu (feminine manifestation of Buddha), was called from China to tame the ferocious dragons. A thousand torches were kindled to light the way--and here, the entire Amonohashidate channel was illuminated by hundreds of torches. When she mounted the flatboat stage, the dragons stormed down to meet her and then commenced a dramatic struggle in which the dragons were tamed by faith. These are dragon dancers beneath the dragon in a swirl of colour and light.

Exif: F Number: 5.6, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 16/10 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 400, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 400.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 350D DIGITAL