Shanghai'd

Dragon Boat Race.

Last weekend, after weeks of practicing, NI and AMD competed with about 15 other teams in the Annual Zhang Jiang Cup Long Zhou Sai. In case you have never heard of a Dragon Boat or a dragon boat competition, I gave a quick background below (I realize this is a long post and if you only want to hear our story and see the pictures, I will put them at the top).

The race was on July 1, a scorching Sunday morning. Luckily Tim's parents who were in town and came to watch, got to sit in my boss's air conditioned office to watch the race - he has a great view! Each boat holds 12 - 10 rowers, a steerer, and a drummer. There are 5 rowers on each side, the paddles are canoe-like with no oar-lock. I was in the back left (they always put the girls in the back!) and Tim got a front row left for this race. We were on separate teams so there was a bit of rivalry, although we never competed directly. The race itself is 400m long, this takes about 2 minutes to row if you are fast and if you go straight. The strokes are to drum beat and are quick and sharp.

The match was divided into heats, Tim's team took 2nd in their heat and progressed to the quarterfinals and semi finals. AMD (my team, there were 3) took 3rd in the first heat and a devastating last for the next race - we were in 1st, and made it half way under the finishing flags when we made a sharp left for the bank. Those things can turn fast! Another team found out about the quick turning when they veered halfway through the race into another boat! The boat that made the abrupt turn sunk and 12 people were swimming or trying to scramble into the next boat. It was quite a spectacle, not to mention health risk for the people who spent time in that river. Yuck.

Anyway, we had a blast! Our teams all vowed to practice and win next year. As it was, the top team was suspiciously made of new employees to that company (it was the local government boat). Rumor has it that they seeded the team to avoid losing face! I can double confirm that since before the race, our team was offered some ringers - for a price! I love China. It was a good day.



Here's the full Flickr photo set.

Some searching revealed that there are actually 2 stories, an early one and a later adaptation:

First:

Dragon boat racing began more than 2000 years ago on the banks of the life-sustaining rivers in the valleys of southern China as a fertility rite to ensure plentiful crops. The first participants were superstitious and held their own celebration on the fifth day of the of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (summer solstice). This time of year was traditionally associated with disease and death; a dark and evil time. The race was held to avert misfortune and encourage the rains needed for prosperity - and the object of their worship was the dragon.

Later, their story changed to commemorate the death of a loved poet:

Chinese history describes the fourth century B.C. as the Warring States period; a time of shifting alliances and much treachery. In a kingdom called Chu, their lived a great patriot and poet by that name of Qu Yuan. He championed political reform and truth as essential to a healthy state. The King, who had fallen under the influence of corrupt ministers banished his most loyal counselor, Qu Yuan, from the kingdom. Left to wander if the countryside, Qu Yuan composed some of China's greatest poetry expressing his fervent love for his country, his deep concern for his country and its future. Upon learning of Chu's devastation at the hands of a rival kingdom, he leaped into the Mi Lo river holding a great rock in a display of his heartfelt sorrow. The people loved Qu Yuan very much and raced out in their fishing boats to the middle of the river in a vain attempt to save him. They beat on drums and splashed their oars in the water, trying to keep the of fish and water dragons away from his body. To honour his soul and to ensure it didn't go hungry, they scattered rice into the water. However, late one night, but spirit of Qu Yuan appeared before his friends and told them that the rice that was meant for him was being intercepted by a huge river dragon. He asked his friends to wrap their rice into three-cornered silk packages and to tie five colours of string about it to ward off the dragon. This tradition is continued to today, although now the dumplings are wrapped in leaves rather than silk.

This time every year, we also have zongzi, or the leaf-wrapped sticky rice described above. It is a fun tradition!