Sun Loong to return for Easter Fair

AN iconic Bendigo dragon will come out of retirement for a special appearance at this year’s Easter Fair.

Marking the event’s 150th run, Sun Loong will return for an Easter Saturday parade from its home at the Golden Dragon Museum to the Tom Flood Sports Centre.

Bendigo Chinese Association president Doug Lougoon said the announcement was exciting news for the region.

“After three years of not seeing a dragon in the streets of Bendigo, this will be fantastic,” he said.

“[Sun Loong] was retired to only come out on special occasions and I think you can’t have any more special occasion than the 150th Bendigo Easter Fair.

“There’s no greater place for Sun Loong to make an encore performance. Who knows when it will appear after this year?”

Formerly the longest parade dragon in the world, Sun Loong was retired in 2019 and succeeded by the even longer Dai Gum Loong, who will parade on Easter Monday.

A fundraiser for the Bendigo Health foundation was also launched at the announcement of Sun Loong’s return last week, which Mr Lougoon said upheld a tradition started by the Chinese community during the gold rush to support the local hospital.

This year is the first time the fair will run as a traditional four-day event since 2011, which Bendigo Easter Fair Society president Simon Mulqueen said was another nod to the 150th milestone.

“We’ve probably been preparing for five years, but since the cancellation in 2020 we’ve been waiting for this moment and all of a sudden it’s only a few weeks away and we’re looking forward to it,” he said.

“It’s been full steam ahead in the last few months since we got the go ahead from government and it’ll be bigger and better than ever.”