Published on Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/06/05/2003054008

It's all about staying power

The boat race on Erhlung River, in Ilan County's Chiaohsi Township, has a history of more than 200 years. The event has its roots in the customs of the Kavalan tribe, whose members held boat races to pay tribute to the river god. Normally the race was between two villages on each side of the river. It is a tradition reserved for the men of the tribe. Unlike the Dragon Boat Festival races most Taiwanese are accustomed to, the crew kneels in the boat, facing outward. Another difference is that the race begins not with a gunshot, but with the clang of gongs held by the coxswain in the bow. If the gong on one boat has not yet rung, the other must wait. Victory is decided not with a timer, but by sheer stamina the race goes on until one side concedes defeat. In the past the race could go on for several days, but now practical considerations have made it a one-day event. The race has long been a major local event along the Erhlung.


CNA, ILAN
Thursday, Jun 05, 2003, Page 2

A crew of young men make give it their all during yesterday's race.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
President Chen Shui-bian (³¯¤ô«ó) said yesterday that the annual Erhlung dragon boat race at Chiaohsi (ÁG·Ë) in Ilan County deserves to be preserved as it epitomizes the essence of indigenous culture.

Chen, who arrived in Chiaohsi early in the morning to attend the opening ceremony for the dragon boat race on the Erhlung River (¤GÀsªe), said the event is a unique cultural activity.

To the best of his understanding, Chen said, the Erhlung dragon boat race differs from those held in other parts of the nation as part of Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, one of the most important festivals in the lunar calendar.

"The Erhlung dragon boat race has been held every year for the past 205 years without interruption. Legend has it that the event originated from a religious ritual of the Kavalan (¾¿º¿Äõ) minority group of the Pingpu Aboriginal tribe. Each year, the residents of the tribal villages of Chiwulan and Choutzuwei hold a dragon boat race as part of a ritual to pay tribute to the river god," Chen said.

Some spectators still wear masks during the boat race on Erhlung River to do their best to prevent catching or spreading SARS.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
One of the features of the Erhlung race is that there is no umpire and therefore no winners or losers. Moreover, unlike dragon boat races held in other regions, no drums are used in the Erhlung event. Instead, gongs are used to beat out the stroke rhythm for the oarsmen, who are also required to stand rather than sit throughout the race.

Chen said the Erhlung event is a good example of sportsmanship.

"It's a gentleman's race. This kind of spirit is worthy of glorification," he said, adding that he hopes the indigenous cultural essence and activities can be promoted as part of everyday life in Taiwan.

Members of a boat crew sweat it out.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Chen, the first president to attend the Erhlung dragon boat race, later traveled on to Suao, Ilan's most important fishing port, to attend a bluefin tuna trade fair.

The Tourism Bureau has selected the Erhlung event as one of the four most representative dragon boat races in Taiwan and therefore subject to intensive promotion as a major tourist attraction.

A boat crew member gingerly prepares his boat before the race.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar and is also known as Poet's Day.

The festival originated in the Milo River (¨Qù¦¿) in Hunan Province, central China, where Chu Yuan (©}­ì), a loyal court minister and poet, committed suicide. Later, people gathered aboard small boats to remember him and began the tradition of throwing rice dumplings into the water as a special offering. The dumplings were wrapped in bamboo leaves so that fish could not eat them.

Because of the outbreak of SARS, Taipei City canceled its international dragon boat race this year, but races were still held in the southern port city of Kaohsiung and in several other smaller towns.