Across the Chinese diaspora, racing in dragon boats has been a tradition reaching back thousands of years.
However, change is afoot, most recently in central Taiwan where the races were switched to the evening to take advantage of cooler temperatures, a refreshing breeze and the sight of the boats lit up with LED lights running the length of the low-lying watercraft.
A drummer pounds out a rhythm behind the elaborately carved dragon head in the bow, while a navigator sits in the stern, where a tail rises to complete the look of the mythical animal, a traditional Chinese harbinger of prosperity and good luck.
Photo: Hsu Li-chuan, Taipei Times
It is mainly an amateur sport and crews are formed among groups of neighbors and coworkers.
Emily Lin, 31, who works as a sales executive in Changhua County, said that training sessions at a local junior-high school were an excellent way to strengthen friendships outside of work.
“This dragon boat race allows us to meet, exchange and take part in something,” Lin said yesterday following qualifiers the previous night.
Daytime racing means dealing with the intense central Taiwan sun reflecting off the river, leaving you feeling unwell, said Chen Ta-tzung, a 28-year-old machinery maintenance specialist.
“But in the evening, you don’t have the sun,” Chen said, adding that a bit of a breeze makes everything easier than during the day.
“When we focus on rowing during the race, we cannot enjoy the beautiful scene, but when we row back, we can really enjoy the beautiful sights,” he said.
This year’s races hold a special meaning for many participants and spectators as they are the first after a three-year break because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The sizes of the boats vary and the numbers of rowers can range from 10 to 20 or more. The festival generally falls at the start of June based around the summer solstice according to the lunar calendar.
Over the past few decades, the sport has spread in popularity around the world and standards have been imposed on rules and equipment, including the size of paddles and requirements that the drummer, playing a similar role to the coxswain in college and Olympic rowing, maintains a constant beat.
“Racing at night is special for rowers,” said Huang Yi-kai, 21, who is a coach for stand-up paddleboard rowers. “This allowed rowers to focus on the moment. It’s a refreshing experience.”
Dragon boat races are also being held in Hong Kong and Macau, as well as around China, where lax safety standards have occasionally led to deadly accidents.
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