DRAGON BOAT RACING
PAST AND PRESENT

Past

Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and philosopher, is the inspiration behind the Dragon Boat Festival. Commemoration of the tragic death of this honest and revered minister of state was observed for more than 2000 years, and has now become the fastest growing team sports in the world.

In the fourth century before the Common Era, China was under political and military strife. Qu Yuan, unhappy with the ruler and the state affairs, protested against the corrupt regime by jumping into the Mei Lo River. According to legend, local fishermen, upon seeing their beloved poet’s act of courage, raced out with their boats in an attempt to save him. To their dismay, they arrived too late. To prevent his body from being eaten by the fish, they beat the waters furiously with their paddles and threw rice dumplings wrapped in silk into the river to distract the fish.

Present

The re-enactment of the villagers racing out to save Qu Yuan has become today’s popular dragon boat race festival.

Celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese Calendar, dragon boat racing is not only one of the most important Chinese traditions, but is now an annual event held in over 40 countries. All around the world, people have embraced this water sport and formed dragon boat racing clubs in their own countries.

The two most established Dragon Boat Race Festivals in Canada – Toronto and Vancouver – spearheaded the Dragon Boat Racing Council of Canada (DBRCC), the national dragon boat organizing body in Canada. The mission of the Council is to work together to develop criteria and processes to select national dragon boat champions to represent Canada in International and World Championships.