The ancient sport of Dragon Boat racing has an intriguing and celebrated history.
The Legend of Qu Yuan (332-227BC)
Qu Yuan descended from the imperial family and is one of China’s foremost scholars and poets. Qu Yuan was a statesman and diplomat for the Chu Emperor during the time of remorseless wars and rejected the Emperor’s use of force, fell out of favor and was dismissed from office and banished, never to return.
Humiliated and living in exile Qu Yuan tragically drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of that year. When the news of his suicide reached the villagers they took to their boats, beating drums and their paddles on the water to frighten the fish and water dragons away to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan’s body.
According to legend, rice dumplings were thrown into the river, both as a sacrifice to Qu Yuan and in the hope that this would prevent the fish from eating his body hence giving him immortality.
However, one night Qu Yuan’s spirit appeared before his friends and told them that a huge river dragon was intercepting the rice meant for him. Qu Yuan asked his friends to wrap their rice into three-cornered silk packages to ward off the dragon.
Chinese tradition commemorates Qu Yuan’s death each year at the Dragon Boat festival when respect is paid to the dragon, ruler of the water
WHAT IS DRAGON BOATING
Dragon boating is an aquatic sport in which a canoe like boat approximately twelve metres long and wide enough to sit twenty people (two abreast) and a sweep at the rear to steer, motivate and encourage together with a drummer at the front, to keep the paddlers in time.
During racing a Dragon Boat will feature a traditional head and tail of a dragon, a mythical creature having dominance over the waters.
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