Fury of the Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon boat races, rice and meat dumplings, and lots of action - it all adds up to a good time (and a public holiday) for Kyle Johnson.

Rhythmic sounds of beating drums fill the air. The crowd cheers in a mixed uproar of Cantonese and English. Colourful dragons race through the water, in the form of long boats manned by a crew of 20 or so. The aroma of rice and meat dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves permeates the seaside atmosphere.

Dragon boat races electrify Hong Kong throughout the month of June, with the of ficial Dragon Boat Festival, or Tuen Ng in Cantonese, celebrated on Tuesday, June 19. Chinese also refer to the festival as the "Fifth of the Fifth", since it falls on Day Five of the Fifth Moon in the lunar calendar. Designating this sporting event as a public holiday symbolises just how important the traditional competition is in Hong Kong. Dragon boat races now take place all over the world from Cape Town to Canada, but it all started here in Asia's World City.

It Began with a Legend

Just as many events in Hong Kong, dragon boat racing has a long history, dotted with superstitions, traditions, and even a hero.

The origins of dragon boat racing go back over 2,000 years, to a time when pre-imperial central China was divided into numerous factions, each battling for supremacy. Within the state of Chu (now the Hunan and Hubei provinces) lived a popular poet and patriot called Qu Yuan (also known as Chu or Ch'u Yuan). Qu Yuan maintained a close relationship with the Chu king, often providing loyal counsel. Then, as sudden as Qu Yuan had risen up the ranks, the king fell prey to corruption and banished his devoted advisor.

Qu Yuan returned to his hometown and continued to express his love for the Chu state, producing some of the first great pieces of Chinese poetry, which are still considered masterpieces. The townspeople grew to admire Qu Yuan's tenacity and poetic expression. After neighbouring forces captured the state's capital, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Mi Lo River to protest the fall of the state he loved so dearly to corrupt rulers. The villagers attempted to rescue him. They beat drums and splashed the water with paddles to scare away fish from his body and to ward off evil spirits. Rice dumplings were thrown into the water to distract fish from eating his remains. One account of the legend says that one night the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared before the townspeople, warning that the lumps of rice should be wrapped in packages to keep a river dragon at bay.

The actions of the townspeople after the death of Qu Yuan were repeated year after year to commemorate the poet's sacrifice, becoming the annual Dragon Boat Festival.

Honoured Traditions

The Dragon Boat Festival is an example of how Hong Kong celebrates its past while still setting global trends as Asia's World City. Many traditions that originated with the legend of Qu Yuan continue in modern dragon boat racing. The boats adorned with dragon-like heads and tails eerily represent the haunting river dragon. Paddlers slap the water to the beat of a drum, mirroring the actions that the ancient townspeople used to scare off fish from Qu Yuan's body. Also, festival spectators eat rice and meat dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, similar to the rice dumplings thrown into the river in accordance with Qu Yuan's advice about the river dragon.

The popularity of the Dragon Boat Festival can even be seen in art. Images courtesy of David Paskett. www.davidpaskett.co.uk

A Modern Sport

Today the Dragon Boat Festival is more about amusement than commemoration. The festival is a vivacious event featuring the fierce racing of dragon boats. The wooden boats measure over 10 metres and normally have a crew of 22 made up of 20 paddlers sitting in pairs facing forward, one drummer at the front, and a steersman at the back. The art of racing is exact, as the drummer must synchronise the beat with the strokes of the leading paddlers and each paddler must exactly match every stroke of their colleagues. On the day of the race, the boats are decorated with colourful banners and the lively atmosphere climaxes with large, excited crowds and drum beats.

Hong Kong is home to the oldest annual international festival races and was responsible for ushering in the modern era of the sport. The first dragon boat races were held here in 1976 as part of the Tuen Ng Festival. Now more than 100 teams from all over the world come to participate in races across the region. Dragon boat racing is one of the fasting growing team water sports worldwide. With all this attention, the beat of the dragon can truly be felt worldwide.

Enjoying the Festival

Dragon boat races are held throughout June across Hong Kong. On the day of the festival local teams compete in Aberdeen, Deep Water Bay, Stanley, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Cheung Chau, Lamma Island and Lantau Island.

For more information, contact the Hong Kong Tourism Board at www.discoverhongkong.com or the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association at 2504 8332, or www.hkdba.com.hk

Dragon Boat Insight

Dragon boat racing is open to all, from the novice to the expert. One beginner dragon boat participant, Gaston Hamel, shares his story of the sport.

How did you begin dragon boat racing?

My office has been participating as a team for a number of years. Last year they had a very good performance and tried to convince me to join. In February, I finally went along and tried with the first training sessions. It was fun and interesting, as well as good exercise, so I decided to do it.

What is it actually like on the dragon boat?

Dragon boat racing is not about individual skills. You can have some very good paddlers but if every person is not at one pace, there is a problem for everyone. On the boat there are experts and non-experts, expats and locals, men and women. We all have to do the same thing at the same moment. Teams do not train with the drum, so there is a lot of screaming and keeping count.

How are the participants positioned on the boat?

The key is to balance the strength with the rhythm; the mission of the trainers and most expert paddlers is to get to this balance. The middle of the boat is where most of the force is. We call it the "engine room". Expert racers are positioned at the front of the boat to keep the rhythm.

What is the most difficult part of training?

One or two hours of paddling is exhausting. But when everyone else keeps the rhythm it keeps me going. All of this practice comes down to a one-minute race. This minute is intense and you give everything you have.

Why do you think dragon boat racing has remained so popular and treasured in Hong Kong?

In this city everyone is busy, contained, and worried about work. The Dragon Boat Festival is an explosion of energy, a special celebration where everyone can have fun together and loosen up. As more people go to the beaches and more boats are training in the water, I can feel the spirit of the race build up. We all work so hard that once in a while we need a release!

What would you tell visitors in Hong Kong about the races?

The Dragon Boat Festival is a great way to see the real spirit of the city. Races are held all over as one of the major events of the year. A big event of this kind brings everyone together. It is a must-see for anyone in town.

Where can visitors see you race?

I will be in the 270m race in Stanley on June 19.

Get your free copy of Citylife when you arrive the hotel room or ask your concierge.

Citylife HK Street Map