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HISTORY
Some 2,300 years ago, Qu Yuan, a Chinese
poet, tied himself to a large stone and plunged into the Mei Lo river to protest
against rampant government corruption, as the story goes. Alarmed villagers
commandeered rowboats and unsuccessfully searched the river for him. Every year
on the anniversary of his death, villagers took to throwing rice dumplings into
the water to appease the spirits.
Since 600 AD, the Dragon Boat Festival, a
Chinese holiday that has spread throughout South-East Asia, has recreated the
villagers' search for Qu Yuan. Rowboats with fierce-looking dragon heads on the
bow and scales painted on the sides run races along the Singapore River. To
watch the action head for Marina Promenade, just beyond the spiky-looking
Esplanade arts centre.
November is the month in Singapore for racing dragon
boats—long canoes powered by ten or 24 paddlers, and controlled by a drummer
and a helmsman. The event is a tradition in many Chinese communities across
Asia, and the sight of the boats flying across the water will impress even the
most distracted spectator. Singapore’s 23rd regatta will be held over a
300-metre course on the downtown section of the Singapore River. Heats last all
day on both days and typically finish around 6pm. There are plenty of bars and
restaurants alongside the course from which to admire the contestants working up
a sweat.
The festival is celebrated around the world:
Hong Kong
The Dragon Boat Festival (or Tuen Ng, in
Cantonese) is marked by exciting and colourful races in long wooden boats. The
festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a beloved poet and statesman, who
allegedly drowned himself in the Mi Lo River 2,000 years ago to protest against
government corruption. His many supporters rushed to save him, grabbing nearby
boats and paddling furiously to reach him: hence the dragon boat races.
The boats usually hold 22 paddlers and are
decorated with the head and tail of a dragon and painted in bright colours. A
drummer in the middle of the boat beats a rhythm for paddlers to follow, and a
Taoist priest blesses the vessels before they are put in the water.
The races take place on bays and rivers
around Hong Kong, notably Victoria Harbour in June
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