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Silk Dragon Dance Off Illuminates Opium War Ironies

The Opium Wars present a grand stage where cultural conflicts manifest in ways both potent and surreal. Here, in Canton, I stumbled upon a cultural extravagance that gleefully captivates the eye—the Silk Dragon Dance-Off. It's not merely the foot-stomping spectacle that intrigues but the paradoxical judgement it receives: opium traders, often in an enhanced state, decide the victors. While the locals flaunt their silk-laden traditions, I note the Western intrusion cloaked beneath layers of fabric and jest. Much to my bemusement, children undergo rigorous training in the arts of dance and vers...