In Garden City�s multicultural community, many have brought with them tokens of their heritage, whether it be food, music or art.



But in some cases, the shibboleths we find are more unique, colorful � sometimes ferocious.



Washington Huynh is a tamer of beasts. At 42 years old, he has brought with him from Vietnam a practice known as �lien dung duong,� more commonly known as the dragon dance.



The dragon dance, sometimes termed the lion dance depending on the costume in use and the number of people animating it, is a longstanding tradition in Chinese culture that was brought to Vietnam from China during a colonization period that lasted more than 1,000 years and ended in approximately 938 AD.



But for Garden City, the dragon dance arrived sometime in 2011, when Huynh began teaching locals how to perform the ancient ritual, which involves a surprising degree of physical fitness and athleticism.



Huynh has been in Garden City since 1999, having come from Vietnam and settling down with his family. Though he prefers to focus less on his history in Vietnam, he has certainly brought aspects of it to Kansas.



Huynh said that it was sometime in 2011 when he was approached by another member of the local Vietnamese community about organizing practice sessions intended to teach locals how to dragon dance. He said yes, and in doing so, continued a family tradition. His uncle, who still lives in Vietnam, has been practicing and teaching the dance for many years, having begun when he was just 11 and continuing to his current age of 53. Huynh, himself, first learned the art of the dance when he was a young boy.



The dragon dance requires a series of precise motions, coordinated with others who compose themselves as the legs and rear of the creature�s body to the rhythm of a deep drumming.



Huynh said training begins without the lion or dragon head to get dancers accustomed to the rhythm and feel of the movements, which require synchronized control of the eyes, ears, hands, legs and the constant pressure to �make sure the booty move� by using the spring that controls the tail.



Locally, Huynh said, the dragon dance is open to children as young as 7 or 8. He teaches youth how to perform the dance at his house outside of his garage, where they learn the skills they need to capture the mythical essence of the creature when it comes time to present offerings during the Lunar New Year and other occasions that warrant the monster�s blessing.



Since he started teaching, Huynh has passed his gift on to 10 Garden City residents, most of whom are not Vietnamese. He said that this year, he will be passing the craft on to two or three young people, adding that a representative from the high school already has contacted him about getting more young children involved.



Huynh said he prefers Garden City to other places, even with family in California and a brief stint spent living in Arlington, Texas.



�I picked Garden City because it was cool, real nice,� he said. �Nice people. Not spend money a lot.�



It was in Garden City that Huynh met Kenny Vu Lam, owner of Saigon�s Corner restaurant. Lam said this his family is close with Huynh�s, and that Huynh is a talented man capable of fixing just about anything, including cars, plumbing problems and even electrical issues.



�He can do pretty much everything,� Lam said.



Lam knew Huynh for two to three years before he discovered that he was a tamer of beasts.



�I happened to come to his house one day, and I saw the head of the dragon sitting in the garage,� Lam said. �I started talking to him about it, and he started telling me about his story, that he tried to form a dragon dance association here in Garden City.�



Huynh�s effort didn�t pan out right away. It took him quite a while, according to Lam, to generate interest in the ancient eastern Asian tradition.



�He recruited about five or six guys here in Garden City, and only one Vietnamese and the rest white Americans,� Lam said. �People with the same hobby, same interests, so they follow him and he teaches them everything.�



Though Huynh teaches the dance of the dragon to others, he says he is still not quite a master himself. He recently awarded himself the white dragon to commemorate the progress he has made over the years as a dragon dancer, and yet the craft potentially can involve such extreme movements and acrobatics that the creature truly does take on a mythical presence when controlled by skilled dancers.



When asked who awarded him the white dragon, Huynh said, �me,� with a winsome grin, because he is the only one in the area capable of awarding the distinction.



In Garden City, the dragon dance is more about having fun, and Lam said, �It�s good for the kids.�



Contact Mark Minton at mminton@gctelegram.com