Lamma Dragon Boat Race, The toughest race on the calendar 40 Mens, Womens and Mixed teams compete over the full international 500-metre length course in the "Lamma 500" held at the scenic Tai Wan T...
The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the life and death of the ancient patriot-poet, Qu Yuan, who lived from 340-278 B.C. during the Warring States period of China. Qu Yuan was a minister who advocated reforms in his home state of Chu. The King fell under the influence of other corrupt, jealous ministers who slandered Qu Yuan. He refused to listen to Qu Yuan's advice and instead banished him from the state of Chu.
Drumming up 2009 Dragon Boat Race 端午節 - 赤柱國際龍舟錦標賽 , Stanley Beach, Hong Kong 赤柱區端午龍舟競渡大賽，將於二零零九年五月二十八日﹝星期四﹞於赤柱正灘舉行。Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month. But that's not May 5th. This holiday is calculated according to the lunar calendar.
一年一度的端午節假期，當日在赤柱舉行龍舟比賽應節。
This year the annual Tuen Ng Dragon Boat Races will be held at Stanley Main
Beach on Thursday 28th May 2009.A very patriotic person, Qu Yuan attracted the wrath of the king by stating his concerns about the govenrment. Later when his country was overrun by enemy solidiers, the ever loyal poet killed himself out of grief for the pain his country was facing.
2009 Stanley Beach Dragon Boat Race In Action
The act of searching for his body in the boats gradually turned into the tradition of the Dragon boat race, which is held every year on the day of his suicide. Dragon boats are raced on rivers in China and the surrounding countries. During these festivals, people will throw "zhongzi" (rice dumplings) into the river to honor the memory of Qu Yuan.
2009 Malacca Dragon Boat Race, Malaysia
The story picks up after Qu Yuan drowned. Local fishermen tried to no avail to get Qu Yuan's body from the river. To protect his body from hungry fish, they threw food into the river to distract them.
Awaken The Dragon
2009 International Dragon Boat Race,Penang, Malaysia
Today we eat zong zi as a symbol of that food thrown into the river. They splashed the water with their paddles and beat the drums on their long, narrow fishing boats in an attempt to scare off the fish. In later years, a dragon was added into the story. Fishermen believed there was a water dragon living in the river. After one man poured an urn of strong rice wine into the river, a drunken dragon floated to the surface. Tangled among the whiskers of this water dragon was found a fragment of Qu Yuan's clothing.
Many years later in southern China, dragon boat racing grew to become associated with memorializing Qu Yuan's noble death. Today, people around the world celebrate Dragon Boat Festival. And dragon boat racing has become a sport of its own, not simply a tradition reserved to Chinese people.
Friday, 5 June 2009
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