The Chinese dragon boat races will
always be a symbol of Chinese culture and spirit. As one of the three largest
Chinese festivals of the year, this mythical celebration can now be witnessed
around the world.
To experience a dragon boat race -
either watching or participating - is a thrill in itself and can be enjoyed by
everyone. You'll watch as long, multicoloured boats, with frightening dragons'
heads, long tails, and scaley bodies, splash through the water. You'll see
men, women, and children grunt and sweat as they push themselves harder and
faster to be the first to the finish line. You'll hear the crowds screaming
and cheering for their favorite team, while the drummers pound on their drums
and yell at the paddlers.
The event is not intended to be
quiet and peaceful but loud and exciting - a celebration! To observe the
Chinese dragon boat races of today, you can only dream of its meager
beginnings. A time when superstition determined how a person lived. In fact,
dragon boat racing began more than 2000 years ago when a group of
superstitious people believed that the boat racing would ensure prosperous and
bountiful crops. Their celebrations took place on the summer solstice - the
time of year typically associated with disease and death and when man felt
most helpless against the powers of nature.
The race has come to symbolize
both man's struggle against nature and his fight against dangerous enemies.
The tragic tale of Ch'u Yuan further integrated the dragon boat races into the
lives of the Chinese. Fourth Century B.C.E. is known as the period of the
"warring states" in Chinese history. It was a time when numerous
supremacy wars between feudal lords erupted. Many kingdoms had already
disappeared, except for Ch'u, which was one of the mightiest kingdoms
remaining. Ch'u Yuan was a poet and a minister and councillor to the king of
Ch'u - truly a great patriot. He feared for the future of his kingdom and to
do the best for his country, he gave advice to the king. To his surprise, the
advice was not accepted and he was exiled. At the devastation of the kingdom
of Ch'u and his exile, Ch'u Yuan, in desperation and sorrow, threw himself
into the Mi Lo river.
The people of Ch'u loved Ch'u
Yuan. They grieved over his death and spent much time trying to scare the fish
and water dragons away from Ch'u Yuan's body by rowing around the river in
their fishing boats, splashing their oars, and beating their drums. And to
ensure that Ch'u Yuan never went hungry, they wrapped rice in leaves and threw
them into the river. Rice cakes are still eaten today as part of the dragon
boat festival celebration. The dragon boat festival is typically celebrated
"the Fifth of the Fifth" - the fifth day of the fifth month. Red is
the prominent colour on the boats because it is the colour of the number five
and symbolizes heat, summer, and fire. The lengths of the boats can range
between 30 and 100 feet but are wide enough to barely fit two people side by
side.
Some of the original rituals are
still practiced today, like the "Awakening of the Dragon" by dotting
the eyes of the dragon's head on each boat. This ceremony is conducted to
cleanse and bless the area of the competition, the competitors, and their
boats. It also gives the boats and their crew the strength of the Dragon and
the blessing of the Goddess of the Sea. Nevertheless, much has changed in the
festival. The crowd no longer throws stones at the rival boats and it is not
imperative a boat capsize and at least one person drown - which was considered
a special sacrifice to the gods and was, surprisingly, a sign of good luck.
Today the dragon boat races are
primarily a form of amusement. It is no longer a necessary ceremony performed
to scare away evil and call for a good year but entertainment that teaches
people a little about Chinese history and culture. We are not nearly as
superstitious as we were in the past but it sure is fun pretending!
