STORY: Ali's tales of finding dragons | Straw dragon dance in south China village 
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 25, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 27, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:01
LOCATION: GUANGZHOU, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST: 
1. various of Dongguan City
2. various of the village
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Local kid and BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger and HUANG YAOLIN, Intangible cultural heritage inheritor of straw dragon dance in Guangdong
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): YE SHUHUA, Huang's apprentice and HUANG YAOLIN, Intangible cultural heritage inheritor of straw dragon dance in Guangdong and BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger
7. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger

STORYLINE:

Basketball blogger Ballo Ali has been living in south China's Guangdong Province for two years.

As a Chinese culture lover, the Malian explored Dragon-related intangible cultural heritage in a village of Dongguan City in Guangdong.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger
"Dongguan is renowned as the capital of art toys in China. I heard they even turned dragons into art toys. A few days ago, I was practicing the dragon dance, and now my arms are so sore that I can't even lift them. But it doesn't stop me from continuing my search for dragons. Let's go!
Is there any dragon here?
(No.)
Hey little buddy, where did you find it?"

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Local kid and BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger
"Let me take you there.
Great, let's go! Thank you.
It is over there.
Is this the place?
Yes.
Thank you. Bye-bye.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger and HUANG YAOLIN, Intangible cultural heritage inheritor of straw dragon dance in Guangdong
"Wow, hello master. Are you weaving straw dragons here?
Yes, because this year is the Year of the Dragon."
Master Huang said that the straw dragon dance in Tianraobu Village has a history of more than 300 years. Turning straws into dragons is a unique skill of Huang Yaolin, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage.
This is my apprentice Ye Shuhua."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): YE SHUHUA, Huang's apprentice and HUANG YAOLIN, Intangible cultural heritage inheritor of straw dragon dance in Guangdong and BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger
"Hello, Ali.
Now she will teach you how to weave a straw dragon.
Let's learn it together. Let's begin with making the dragon head.
What I made looks like ginseng, doesn't it?
It's pretty good. Well done."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): BALLO ALI, Malian basketball blogger
"We have only made the head. Let's take our time to finish the rest of it. I know next time I will make it better. 
In recent years, more and more young people have been drawn to weaving and dancing with straw dragons. The straw dragon dance of Tianraobu Village documents the villagers' aspirations for a good life."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Guangzhou, China.
(XHTV)