Southern China: Dragon Boat Races on Duanwu

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The dragon boat races are the main feature of the duanwu Festival of southern china the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, which is said to have begun in the spring and Autumn Period and the period of the Warring States. during this period the worthy official Qu yuan(340-278 BC) of the State of Chu jumped into a river, and his countrymen vied to save him, but he disappeared in dongting lake without a trace. every year after this on the oth day of the 5th lunar month people rowed boats on the river to scatter the fish and keep them from eating Qu Yuans body. The custom then spread throughout the states of Wu, Yue, and Chu.

There is another version of how the dragon boat races began. In primitive totem society, people worshipped the image of the powerful dragon as their own ancestor and protective spirit (as a totem). Tribal people who lived in regions of lakes and rivers built boats in the shape of a dragon and decorated them with illustrations of dragons tprotect them from the harm of snakes, insects, disease, and the threat of floods.

The dragon boat races, in addition to being a way to remember Qu Yuan, are given other implications in other areas. In Guangxi they are known as”pushing dragon boats”and are a favorite mass sport among the local people. In jiangsu and Zhe jiang area, the dragon boat races are also held in honor of Qiu jin, a locally born modern revolutionary. The sight at night on the dragon boats is a moving and exciting one, with the colorful lanterns on boatsand the boats weaving in and out and up and down the river. the miao people of guizhou hold a Dragon Boat Festival from the 25th to the 28th of the th month of the lunar calendar to celebrate success in the planting of seedlings and wish for a bountiful grain harvest The people of different ethnic groups and different areas have different explanations for the dragon boat races. Down to the present many areas in southern China located near rivers, lakes, and seas hold dragon boat races and activities with their own characteristics every year during the duanwu Festival.

People in Taiwan began holding dragon boat races during the 29th year of the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong(1739 AD) and they now hold them every year on the 5thday of the sth lunar month. Dragon boat races are also held in Hong Kong and people in England also hold races after the Chinese custom, organizing teams for the activity. In addition, the custom of holding dragon boat races has spread to neighboring countries such as Japan and Vietnam.

The dragon boat races always attract large numbers of tourists and the two banks of the river are always covered with people cheering, yelling, setting off fireworks and banging gongs. Dragon boat races are held in villages, towns and counties and in some places the races are connected with activities to promote friendship and commercial ties. In order to better develop this traditional festival custom, the State physical culture administrati organized and set up the Dragon Boat Association and declared an annual National Dragol On Boat month be observed every year. The organization and leadership of the Dragon boat Association covers the dragon boat competitions in China and abroad and both competition and traditional dragon boats to ensure that Dragon boat month is a brilliant success. The scope of dragon boat races has continued to grow, expanding from southern China to northern China and from rural residents to college students.