In something like a scene out of a Transformers film, an enormous horse-dragon robot and a gigantic mechanical spider have been battling it out in downtown Beijing. The show is stirring awe in the Chinese capital and is celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and China.
“Long Ma”, which means a fine horse in the shape of a dragon, takes on the spider called “The Princess” in a robotic puppet show loosely based on the Chinese creation myth of the goddess Nuwa, who made people out of yellow mud and saved humanity from apocalypse after one of the pillars holding up heaven collapsed.
The dragon, which weighs up to 45 tons, stands at 12 meters high and stretches 17 meters long. The Princess isn’t too small either with a 20 meter leg span. They are both controlled by a team of operators who are perched on the robots and the spectacle is made possible by a crew of 100 people – including actors, singers, and an orchestra.
“Long Ma”, which means a fine horse in the shape of a dragon, takes on the spider called “The Princess” in a robotic puppet show loosely based on the Chinese creation myth of the goddess Nuwa, who made people out of yellow mud and saved humanity from apocalypse after one of the pillars holding up heaven collapsed.
The dragon, which weighs up to 45 tons, stands at 12 meters high and stretches 17 meters long. The Princess isn’t too small either with a 20 meter leg span. They are both controlled by a team of operators who are perched on the robots and the spectacle is made possible by a crew of 100 people – including actors, singers, and an orchestra.
The eyes glow red and both growl and produce different sounds. The Princess is seen frothing water vapor at its mouth and the Long Ma “can stand on his hind legs, his tail moves, he can gallop, and of course fire comes from his mouth: it’s a real dragon“, said Francois Delaroziere, artistic director of the French firm that developed the tribute to Chinese mythology.
“It’s puppetry on a grand scale,” smiled Isa, one of the crew members.
They also traveled a fair distance to get to the show; they were both created by La Machine company in France, 8000 kilometers away.
“In this mythical universe, the horse-dragon combines equine speed and vitality with the supreme power of the dragon: he embodies the spirits of vigor and perseverance that Chinese schoolchildren are still taught today,” Francois Delaroziere, art director of La Machine, said.
The show will last several days where at the end of the battle, The Princess will leave the capital and Long Ma will stay in the Beijing Culture Free Port.
