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Ancient fest of dragon boats
By Chen Zhaoxiong and Wang Jie |
August 30, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is one of the four most important traditional holidays in China.
The festival is celebrated with various folk activities, but none is more popular or celebrated than dragon-boat racing. The races have a history spanning more than 2,000 years, and many historical accounts trace their origins to a renowned scholar name Qu Yuan, who lived during the Chu State in ancient China.
In areas south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, however, there is another tale about the origins of this famous race. Those stories claim that the races were started to commemorate Wu Zixu, a famous general of the Wu State, whose life preceded that of Qu Yuan.
People here in Jiading call the festival event dragon-boating instead of dragon-boat racing. The difference is that the dragon-boat racing in other regions is a contest of speed, whereas dragon-boating in Jiading is all about skill.
In Jiading, there are no rivers wide enough for boat racing. The district is a crisscrossed network of wide streams and creeks. For that reason, people rely on skill and performance in their dragon boat contests.
In dragon-boating, each boat is manned by eight paddlers. Coordination and cooperation among them is what distinguishes performance, whether they are snaking forward or going around in circles.
Taking up the most prominent position on the bow, the helmsman, or team leader, holds in his hand a rudder-shaped knife similar to the one wielded by Guangong, a hero in traditional Chinese opera. He will paddle with it, when necessary, to fine tune the direction of the boat. Most of the time, the rudder knife is a prop that enhances the show on board the craft. It may be also used to direct musicians on board or just impress onlookers on the bank with elaborate cutting motions.
In olden days, onlookers lining the shores and bridges would throw coins into the boats as encouragement. Of course many of the coins landed in the water. Some onlookers intentionally threw coins into the water, and the team leader would dive into the water to collect them and then "jump out" of the water and back to his original position on the boat.
Musicians in each boat would provide rhythm for the paddlers, increasing tempo as a boat pick up speed. Skill at dragon-boating requires a lot of practice sessions to hone the teamwork of those on board.
Dragon boats in Jiading are shaped differently from those in other parts of China. The hull, for instance, is short and plump, measuring 5.95 meters long and 2.52 meters wide in most cases. The keel is made from camphor or other hardwoods, while the hull is crafted from Chinese fir. Iron wires are used to decorate the bow, symbolizing the claws of the dragon, while colored hemp rope is used to create the beard falling from the dragon's chin.
The festival is celebrated with various folk activities, but none is more popular or celebrated than dragon-boat racing. The races have a history spanning more than 2,000 years, and many historical accounts trace their origins to a renowned scholar name Qu Yuan, who lived during the Chu State in ancient China.
In areas south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, however, there is another tale about the origins of this famous race. Those stories claim that the races were started to commemorate Wu Zixu, a famous general of the Wu State, whose life preceded that of Qu Yuan.
People here in Jiading call the festival event dragon-boating instead of dragon-boat racing. The difference is that the dragon-boat racing in other regions is a contest of speed, whereas dragon-boating in Jiading is all about skill.
In Jiading, there are no rivers wide enough for boat racing. The district is a crisscrossed network of wide streams and creeks. For that reason, people rely on skill and performance in their dragon boat contests.
In dragon-boating, each boat is manned by eight paddlers. Coordination and cooperation among them is what distinguishes performance, whether they are snaking forward or going around in circles.
Taking up the most prominent position on the bow, the helmsman, or team leader, holds in his hand a rudder-shaped knife similar to the one wielded by Guangong, a hero in traditional Chinese opera. He will paddle with it, when necessary, to fine tune the direction of the boat. Most of the time, the rudder knife is a prop that enhances the show on board the craft. It may be also used to direct musicians on board or just impress onlookers on the bank with elaborate cutting motions.
In olden days, onlookers lining the shores and bridges would throw coins into the boats as encouragement. Of course many of the coins landed in the water. Some onlookers intentionally threw coins into the water, and the team leader would dive into the water to collect them and then "jump out" of the water and back to his original position on the boat.
Musicians in each boat would provide rhythm for the paddlers, increasing tempo as a boat pick up speed. Skill at dragon-boating requires a lot of practice sessions to hone the teamwork of those on board.
Dragon boats in Jiading are shaped differently from those in other parts of China. The hull, for instance, is short and plump, measuring 5.95 meters long and 2.52 meters wide in most cases. The keel is made from camphor or other hardwoods, while the hull is crafted from Chinese fir. Iron wires are used to decorate the bow, symbolizing the claws of the dragon, while colored hemp rope is used to create the beard falling from the dragon's chin.
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