Dragon Boating
The history of dragon boats can be traced back to more than 2000 years ago, along the banks of the life-sustaining rivers in Southern china, such as the Chang Jiang (now the Yangtze). There are two main legends popularly related to the custom of racing dragon boats.
In Chinese culture, the classic Dragon rides the clouds in the sky and commands the wind, mist and rain a revered symbol of strength and power.
In ancient China, the Dragon Boat with ornately carved dragon's head and tail, was used for religious purposes as a way of appeasing the rain gods.
More than 2000 years ago in the Chinese Kingdom of Chu, there lived a poet-statesman called Qu Yuan. He was an honest man who was dearly loved by the people. The government of the kingdom of Chu was however, a corrupt one, and many of the courtiers resented Qu Yuan's talent, his sense of righteousness and his popularity. They finally convinced the Emperor that it was, in fact Qu Yuan who was a corrupt influence and he was banished from the kingdom.
For many years after, Qu Wan wandered the countryside composing poems about his love for the people until, one day, perhaps unable to bear his sorrow any longer, or maybe as a final protest against the corrupt government of the time, he threw himself into the Mi Lo River.
Local fishermen who witnessed this desperate act dashed to their boats and attempted to rescue Qu Yuan. They were unsuccessful but in an attempt to prevent the hungry fish from eating the poet's body, they beat the water furiously with their paddles. As a sacrifice to his spirit, the fishermen then threw rice dumplings, wrapped in silk, into the river.
The tragic death of Qu Yuan is commemorated each year on the fifth day of the fifth moon when the fishermen's frantic attempt to save the poet is re-enacted in the form of dragon boat races. Also at this time of the year, in keeping with the legend, rice cakes are made, but instead of being
thrown into the water, are enjoyed by everyone.
It is not clear how the actual dragon-head and prow came into being - it is unlikely that the original boats used to try to save Qu Yuan were similarly decorated - it is thought that, during the evolution of the races over the years, the fierce-looking dragon-heads were added to ward off evil water spirits.
The traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is held on the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month (varying from lat May to middle June), which
is traditionally considered a month of death and disease, evil and darkness, due to the high summer temperatures (in China). Therefore, venerating the awakiening Dragon was meant to avert misfortune and encourage rainfall, needed for the fertility of crops and prosperity of the people. The annual celebration is mean to protect the people from evil & disease for the rest of the year.
The Dragon Boat Festival was primarily held as a ceremony to awaken the hibernating 'Heavenly Dragon'. Sacrifices, sometimes human, were involved in this ritual and it could be a violent clash with the crew members of the competing boats throwing stones and striking each other with cane sticks. Originally, paddlers (or even an entire team) falling into the water could receive no assistance from onlookers as the accident was considered to be due to the will of this 'Dragon Deity' and could not be interefered with .... If people drowned it was considered a sacrifice.
The ceremony called 'Eye Dotting' or 'Awakening the Dragon 'traditionally involves a Taoist priest dotting the protruding eyes of the dragon head carved on the boats, thus ending its slumber. The ceremony is practiced at many Dragon Boat events throughout the world today, sometimes with event dignitories performing the 'dotting of the eye'.
The history of dragon boats can be traced back to more than 2000 years ago, along the banks of the life-sustaining rivers in Southern china, such as the Chang Jiang (now the Yangtze). There are two main legends popularly related to the custom of racing dragon boats.
In Chinese culture, the classic Dragon rides the clouds in the sky and commands the wind, mist and rain a revered symbol of strength and power.
In ancient China, the Dragon Boat with ornately carved dragon's head and tail, was used for religious purposes as a way of appeasing the rain gods.
More than 2000 years ago in the Chinese Kingdom of Chu, there lived a poet-statesman called Qu Yuan. He was an honest man who was dearly loved by the people. The government of the kingdom of Chu was however, a corrupt one, and many of the courtiers resented Qu Yuan's talent, his sense of righteousness and his popularity. They finally convinced the Emperor that it was, in fact Qu Yuan who was a corrupt influence and he was banished from the kingdom.
For many years after, Qu Wan wandered the countryside composing poems about his love for the people until, one day, perhaps unable to bear his sorrow any longer, or maybe as a final protest against the corrupt government of the time, he threw himself into the Mi Lo River.
Local fishermen who witnessed this desperate act dashed to their boats and attempted to rescue Qu Yuan. They were unsuccessful but in an attempt to prevent the hungry fish from eating the poet's body, they beat the water furiously with their paddles. As a sacrifice to his spirit, the fishermen then threw rice dumplings, wrapped in silk, into the river.
The tragic death of Qu Yuan is commemorated each year on the fifth day of the fifth moon when the fishermen's frantic attempt to save the poet is re-enacted in the form of dragon boat races. Also at this time of the year, in keeping with the legend, rice cakes are made, but instead of being
thrown into the water, are enjoyed by everyone.
It is not clear how the actual dragon-head and prow came into being - it is unlikely that the original boats used to try to save Qu Yuan were similarly decorated - it is thought that, during the evolution of the races over the years, the fierce-looking dragon-heads were added to ward off evil water spirits.
The traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is held on the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month (varying from lat May to middle June), which
is traditionally considered a month of death and disease, evil and darkness, due to the high summer temperatures (in China). Therefore, venerating the awakiening Dragon was meant to avert misfortune and encourage rainfall, needed for the fertility of crops and prosperity of the people. The annual celebration is mean to protect the people from evil & disease for the rest of the year.
The Dragon Boat Festival was primarily held as a ceremony to awaken the hibernating 'Heavenly Dragon'. Sacrifices, sometimes human, were involved in this ritual and it could be a violent clash with the crew members of the competing boats throwing stones and striking each other with cane sticks. Originally, paddlers (or even an entire team) falling into the water could receive no assistance from onlookers as the accident was considered to be due to the will of this 'Dragon Deity' and could not be interefered with .... If people drowned it was considered a sacrifice.
The ceremony called 'Eye Dotting' or 'Awakening the Dragon 'traditionally involves a Taoist priest dotting the protruding eyes of the dragon head carved on the boats, thus ending its slumber. The ceremony is practiced at many Dragon Boat events throughout the world today, sometimes with event dignitories performing the 'dotting of the eye'.
