Aung Min Thant is captain of the international dragon dance team at XJTU.

Aung Min Thant, a Myanmar student currently pursuing a business administration bachelor's degree at Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU), stumbled upon a performance by the Dragon and Lion Dance Association during a campus event, sparking his fascination with the tradition.

In January 2024, XJTU's Sports Center selected eight international students, including Aung Min Thant, to compete in the ‌4th International Traditional Dragon and Lion Dance Competition‌ and the ‌Chinese Traditional Sports International Championship‌.

Due to his physical stamina and fluent Chinese, he was chosen as the ‌dragon head performer‌ and appointed captain of the international student dragon dance team.

Dragon dancing proved far more challenging than expected. Early in training, Aung Min Thant often felt physically exhausted. With the competition approaching, he pushed himself and the team to their limits, maintaining ‌three hours of daily high-intensity training‌.

In less than a month, the team had to master intricate moves like shoulder-lying, waist-hanging, leg-stepping, dragon weaving, triangular formations, and flying dragon poses, all requiring flawless coordination.

During the competition, the team moved as one: leaping, dancing, and sprinting as if fused with the dragon's spirit. All their efforts paid off, as XJTU secured ‌sixth place overall‌ in the "World Dragon King" Challenge and ‌first place among international student teams‌.

In May 2024, the university established its ‌International Dragon and Lion Dance Branch‌. The team now showcases their skills at prestigious events, including a gala celebrating the ‌75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China‌.

To sustain the team's growth, Aung Min Thant recruited over ‌30 new members‌ in the fall of 2024. Through training, experienced members mentored newcomers from the ground up. At the end of autumn, the rookies delivered a stunning dragon dance performance at the university's annual ‌"Phoenix Tree Festival"‌.

Reflecting on his journey, Aung Min Thant shared: "Dragon dance is not just a cherished memory of my studies here – It belongs to everyone who loves, values, and carries forward this tradition. I hope to inspire more international friends to embrace traditional Chinese sports and experience the unique magic of dragon dance."