Rowing may not be a popular sport in Taiwan, but in June -- the time of the Dragon Boat Festival -- it becomes a local favorite. To celebrate the ancient Chinese festival, starting from today, at least six cities in Taiwan are holding dragon boat racing competitions as well as a series of folk ceremonies.
A special feature of this year's competition in Tainan is the return of President Chen Shui-bian (
As one of Taiwan's oldest ports and cities, Lukang (
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
The dragon boat festival is to commemorate the ancient Chinese poet Chu Yuan (
Centuries later, the practice has evolved into tradition, with annual races held on May 5th of the Lunar calendar. Dragon Boat is also considered one of the three big festivals of the year and has come to signify the beginning of summer, as Chinese New Year represents the coming of spring and the Moon Festival signifies the autumn season.
One of the other traditions that has remained intact is the smell of bamboo leaves in the air. Bamboo wrapped dumplings can be seen all over the island as the festivities approach.
This year, Taipei City probably has the most to offer in terms of traditional rituals for the dragon boat festival. On May 21st, Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
For your information:
The Dragon Boat competitions have both local and foreign teams participating. Following is a list of venues and contact numbers for further details:
Taipei: June 9th to 11th at the Keelung River's Tachia section (
Kaohsiung: Today through Tuesday at Love River (
Lukang: Today through Tuesday at Chi-an Canal (
Changhua County Sports Association Iilan: Monday and Tuesday at Tungshan River (
Tainan: Monday and Tuesday at An-ping Canal (
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