There’s no more passionate, colorful racing on the planet than Dragon Boat racing. You’ll get a chance to see just why this Saturday, June 23 – the 5th day of the 5th month on the Chinese lunar calendar. Very auspicious.
The festival is traditionally known as Duanwu Jie. Rooted in ancient China, it marks the death of poet Qu Yuan. Over the years it’s morphed into a time when celebrants consume the rice dumpling zongzi, hang calamus leaves, quaff xionhauangjiu wine – and race dragon boats.
The beauty of dragon boat racing (aside from the boats themselves) is that synchronicity counts for far more than brute strength. The former almost always clobbers the latter. That’s why it’s the quintessential team pursuit. Beating out the all-important rhythm is the drummer, who sits in the bow. He or she sets the timing – and that’s crucial.
As for your timing, we understand if you can’t jet to China in the next couple of days. Be patient. There’s probably a dragon boat coming to a river or lake near you before too long. Granted, it’s not Duanwu Jie, but in terms excitement, it will do. Here’s a trio of coming dragon boat races just over the horizon:
On July 28, South Union Lake Park will be the setting for the Seattle Dragon Boat Festival. Aside from the colorful competition out on the water there’s on-shore entertainment galore, lots of food and an array of arts and crafts to keep the kids busy. Admission is free.
On Saturday, Sept. 29 it’s Nashville’s turn. Riverfront Park is the place for the paddle-off, the Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival. Some 50 teams are expected this year, and they’ll do battle right downtown. That makes access easy. Getting to Nashville proper is commensurately quick. The city’s airport is a major focal point for Southwest Airlines.
As September segues into October the weather should be sublime for the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival. It’s set for Saturday, Oct. 8.
(Image: Andrea_44)
