Dragon boat racing originated from an ancient Chinese legend about a well-loved statesman by the name of Qu Yuan who lived in the Kingdom of Chu during the 4th century BC. Although he was popular with the people, he was banished from court by corrupt officials. Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Mi Lo River in protest against these corrupt rulers. Legend says that as the townspeople attempted to rescue him, they beat drums to scare fish away and threw dumplings into the sea to stop the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body.

The elaborately decorated dragon boats today still move to the beat of heavy drums. These boats measure more than ten metres in length and have ornately carved dragonheads and tails at the bow and the stern. Each boat holds approximately 20 paddlers and there are 12 lanes in each race. Women and men have separate races and there are also mixed event races. Each race lasts about 12 minutes so it is a fast and furious spectacle to behold. The sport is recognised for the camaraderie, strength and endurance it builds amongst participants, and it has also become a very popular corporate and charity sport.

Dragon Boat races can be watched in many locations throughout Hong Kong including Sha Tin, Discovery Bay, Aberdeen, Tai Po and Stanley.

Alson Wong is the Chairperson of Stanley Residents Association which is responsible for organising the dragon boat competition in Stanley each year. Alson has been running this event for nearly 30 years and last year was the 40th anniversary of the event in Stanley. “My father used to run it and I always wanted to help out so I took over from him. It’s a voluntary position but it takes up an awful lot of time. We have been working on the 2008 event since before Christmas. We organise all the teams and their training sessions,” Alson says.

Many of the boats are sponsored by companies and banks, who see the races as a fantastic tool for building team spirit and company morale. Alson explains that the association has a trainer who helps new teams become proficient in the techniques of the sport during official training sessions. The association also has a team of promoters who approach companies to encourage them to participate. Stanley Residents Association owns all the boats used in the Stanley races and they are rented out to teams for the events. They now own 43 boats and the money they receive from companies is used to buy new boats and restore older ones.

Alson says, “After Easter we begin training and every team is allocated ten hours of training each. The races are about five kilometres long so you need to be very fit.” They have organised three events this year - a warm-up event, the main event on June 8 and another race a couple of weeks after the main event. All the events take place on Stanley main beach.

According to Alson, Stanley is one of the most popular spots to watch Dragon Boat racing in Hong Kong. “Here people know there will be a good atmosphere. Everyone comes to the promenade after the event and there is a street party all night. We try to encourage the whole community to come to watch the races. It’s a really exciting thing to be involved in and to experience. I grew up in Stanley so it’s part of my heritage.”

This year, 4 metre x 4 metre LCD screens with cameras will be placed at the start and finishing points so that all the spectators can have a good view of the action.

A worldwide sport

Today, dragon boat racing has tens of thousands of participants in various organisations and clubs in more than 60 countries worldwide. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association is the controlling body for dragon boating in Hong Kong and also selects and trains dragon boat paddlers to represent Hong Kong in international dragon boat events, including the Asia Dragon Boat Championships and the World Dragon Boat Championships.

In Europe, the largest dragon boat festival is held in Malmo, Sweden, where more than 4,000 participants take part in the Malmo Festival which lasts over a week. In the UK, the Bewl Water Dragon Boat Festival in Kent involves around 1,200 competitors annually. Dragon boat racing is even more popular in Canada and the US with the Rio Tinto Dragon Boat Festival held in Vancouver, the GWN Dragon Boat Challenge in Toronto and the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Queens, New York. This sport appeals to many nationalities and once you have experienced it for yourself, you will begin to understand why.