The Gregorian New Year has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that the celebrations are over. The Luna New Year has just gone by, an important time of the year for China. It’s the worlds largest exodus of people, and a time to think about the year ahead.
Dragon Burn
Shanghai’s official regional Burning Man organisation.
A Different Point of View
I just got back from Kiwiburn and it was an amazing experience as most Burns are. And one thing I like about Burns is you often meet people with different interpretations of what the event is meant to be.
2026: The Year of Many Burns
It’s been a fascinating year. This year I kept roaming the world, but for the first time in a long time, I did it solo. And I stumbled into a new mission: building weird temporary cities out of art, fire, and often too much sound.
Every Burn is a Do-ocracy
People often ask who runs Dragon Burn, and how they can get involved. Since the Burn is entirely volunteer-driven, the answer to both questions is simple: YOU. If you see a gap, you fill it. A Burn is a Do-ocracy.
AI Art has no place at a Burn
I’ve noticed a trend at a few Burns over the last year or so: more and more people are relying on AI to create art, among other things. This bugged me, as I’ve always thought of a Burn as a place where people can discover themselves as the artist.
A Burn at the Unburn 2024
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Dragon Burn 2024 was cancelled. This didn’t stop us from camping out for the long weekend, however. A smaller group of us set ourselves up at the campsite and enjoyed a small pop-up Unburn instead.
That Time We Pranked a Burn
The Shanghai Cacophony Society (also known as the Raccoon Society) are pranksters of compassion. As members we try to invent shenanigans that will trick, confuse, and delight people. One year at Dragon Burn we started a new theme camp that was less than it seemed.
The Reason I Stayed: My First Burn
China didn’t go well for me at first. I lost my fiancée, my job, and was struggling to adjust to life in a country so unfamiliar to me. I had all but decided to leave. This is the reason that I stayed.
Burning Japan: My Second Regional
The first regional Burn I ever went to was Dragon Burn, which I ended up having a hand in running. After getting sucked into Burn culture I wanted to see what other regionals were like and, being in Asia, we ended up going to Burning Japan.
China’s Biggest Bar Crawl?
When I lived in China I started a journey that ended up with potentially the largest bar crawl in China. It was an amazing event, and a lot of fun was had by all involved. But I’m hoping that this year the record will be broken.