About the sport
History has it that dragon boat racing originated in China over 2,000 years ago from a somewhat mythical beginning. Legend tells of a warrior turned poet, Qu Yuan, who, as a loyal subject of the Emperor King Hui, was overcome by sorrow at the corruption and resulting troubles of his time.
As final protest Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Mi Lo River. When his followers heard of the tragedy, they took to the river in boats and hit the water with their paddles throwing rice dumplings into the water to feed his spirit.
From that time on, the Chinese commemorated the death of Qu Yuan by holding a dragon festival each year on the anniversary of his death - the 5th day of the 5th moon. From this festival came the tradition of racing dragon boats. With drums beating and paddles splashing came a fast and furious sport with crews fighting for honour and glory.
As a modern sport, dragon boat racing was developed for the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in 1976. The boats raced today are 40 feet long and are constructed from glass fibre, rather like large canoes. Wooden gunwales and seats help to retain a traditional look, and the boats are fitted with a colourful dragon's head and tail, plus the drums for racing. A crew consists of around 20 paddlers sitting side by side, with a helm to steer the boat and a drummer to keep the rhythm.
Dragon boat racing is becoming one of the fastest growing and most popular sports in the world. The sport started in the Far East and is very popular in Europe & America. In the UK alone the sport has estimated that 41,000 people in 850 crews take part in events throughout the summer months.
