Loong Conservation Project

The Loong Conservation Project
Loong is recognised as the oldest intact imperial dragon in the world. He was crafted by the Sing Cheung workshop in the city of Foshan on the Pearl River near Guangzhou in southern China in the late 1800s and is an excellent early surviving example of master craftmanship and tradition. His name simply means ‘dragon’, but historically he was also referred to by the Chinese community as Gum Loong (Golden Dragon) and Moo Loong (Dancing Dragon).  
Loong is believed to have made his first processional appearance in 1892 and remained the main attraction in Bendigo’s annual Easter Parade until his retirement in 1970. He is on permanent display at the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo.
Loong is an object of great value and significance to the community and his survival today is due to their constant care, but in 2021 a conservation review discovered he was in significant need of stabilising work to repair damage and slow deterioration.
The Loong Conservation Project is a 12-month project supported by the Victorian Government through the Living Heritage Grants Program. The project was delivered by The University of Melbourne’s Grimwade Conservation Services team and student conservators working in partnership with the Bendigo Chinese Association to complete conservation work.
Loong is on display at the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo, Australia. goldendragonmuseum.org
Learn more about the Master of Cultural Materials Conservation course at The University of Melbourne. study.unimelb....
Credits:
Archival images and footage courtesy of the Golden Dragon Museum, Bendigo Chinese Association and Public Record Office of Victoria.
VPRS 14517 Negatives of Photographs (Publication Branch)/P0001/50, U358; VPRS 12903 Photographic Negatives: Railways: Box systems/P0001, 648/02
Video by Paul Burston, 2022.