On Thursday, July 18 at 14:00, the Dragon Festival at Skjálfandafljót will be held in a beautiful place called Kvenfélagsbollinn at Goðafoss. Huldustígur and the Confucius Institute Norðurljós at the University of Iceland organize the event in collaboration with other parties. The goal is to connect the Icelandic and Chinese folklore heritage about dragons and rivers and to honor nature and cultural heritage.

Now the year of the dragon is over according to Chinese almanac and therefore ideal to pay attention to the dragon. In both Icelandic and Chinese cultures, dragons are strongly associated with water. The dragon is one of our familiar symbols on the coat of arms of the Republic of Iceland. His protection can be found in many places along the rivers and waterfalls of this country.

Helga A. Erlingsdóttir, a freelance researcher, will educate visitors about the history of the place and the connection of the inhabitants to the river and Godafoss over time. We invite visitors, and children are especially welcome, to take part in painting a dragon under the guidance of the artist Rakelar Hinriksdóttir. A Chinese legend about a dragon will be told and Chinese tea will be served.

Akureyri Academy and Þingeyjarsveit provide the project with grants that will be used in the creation of the dragon artwork.

The event is free of charge - you are most welcome. It is best to park your car and walk from the parking lot at Goðafoss, west of the river.