Chicago water lantern festival9/11/2023 Often, they are related to many of the crew members by birth or marriage. People living in small communities where local races are held usually know most or all of the members of the dragon boat teams. In these settings, instead of watching from the bank, villagers sometimes row their family boats out into the river so that they can get a closer look at the dragon boats during the race. Many of these informal races are held in communities where people have a close relationship with nearby bodies of water and most families own their own boats. In mainland China, there are also various informal races organized by local villages and communities. Official races organized by organizations like the International Dragon Boat Federation are held in many parts of the world. The most common length for a race, however, is 500 meters (1,640 feet). The distance covered by racers can vary from 100 to 2,000 meters (328 to 6,562 feet). Live dragon boat races can be seen on most major bodies of water in China during the festival. During races, the boats are fitted out with a colorful dragon head and tail. Today, however, most dragon boats are made of modern materials such as fiberglass. Originally, dragon boats were made of teak. Even before the modern era, dragon boat racing was popular among ethnic Chinese people living throughout Asia. ![]() Dragon boat racing has a history of over 2,000 years and some scholars believe the practice most likely began as a way to worship the Dragon God.Īccording to this explanation, the custom is thought to have originated in southern China’s Guangdong Province along the Pearl River Delta. Qu Yuan’s suicide is only one of the explanations that have been advanced, however. In line with this explanation, racing dragon boats mimics the actions of the villagers who rowed out into the river to try to save their beloved poet. The story of Qu Yuan’s suicide is often used to explain the dragon boat racing tradition. It's possible that the practice of dragon boat racing started out as a way to worship an ancient dragon god. People in certain regions of China believed that during this month, the dreaded five poisonous animals (五毒, wǔdú), started to come out of their winter hiding places. Traditionally, the fifth lunar month was considered to be an unlucky time. As noted above, the Dragon Boat Festival is also called the Double Fifth Festival because it falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. ![]() Avoiding bad luck in the fifth monthĪnother possible explanation for the origins of the festival is linked to superstitions surrounding the date on which it falls. Unable to find him and worried that fish would eat his body, they threw balls of sticky rice into the river in hopes that the fish would choose the rice over Qu Yuan. ![]() Legend has it that when they realized he was attempting to drown himself, the citizenry rushed in boats to the middle of the river in an attempt to save him or at least retrieve his body. Qu Yuan remains a popular figure in modern China.ĭuring his time in exile, Qu Yuan had become quite popular with the local people.
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