History
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 with sorrow at the corruption and resulting troubles of his time.
As a final protest, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Milo River. When his followers heard of the tragedy, they took to the river in their boats to search for his body. To protect the Poet, they beat drums in the 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. 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.
The boats raced today are 40ft long and are constructed from fibreglass, rather like large canoes. Wooden gunwales and seats help to retain a traditional look and the boats are fitted with a colourful Dragons Head and Tail, plus the drum 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 as a competitive sport can only claim a history dating back to 1976 when the first International Races were held as part of the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. The sport has expanded rapidly internationally, with over 30 Countries now active in the sport. Races distances vary, but in the UK, the normal distances are 250m, 500m and 1000m.
In 1998, 23,000 people participated in the sport, compared to 22,000 in canoeing and 24,000 in rowing.