City awash in Dragon Boat Festival tradition and cheer

Teams race in the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen Nan’ao) Maritime Dragon Boat Race in the Yueliang Bay area in Nan’ao Sudistrict, Dapeng New Area, on Saturday. Photos by Liu Xudong

Drizzly weather didn’t put a damper on the enthusiasm of both paddlers and spectators at the dragon boat race in Nan’ao Subdistrict, Dapeng New Area on Friday.

Accompanied by rhythmic drumbeats and the spirited cheers of spectators, 12 teams took part in fierce competitions to kick off the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen Nan’ao) Maritime Dragon Boat Race in the Yueliang Bay area.

A traditional fisherman’s wedding ceremony is performed during Saturday’s race.

A total of 30 teams from the Greater Bay Area engaged in competitions in the two-day race.

In its 20th edition since 1998, this competition distinguishes itself as the only dragon boat race held in the sea off Shenzhen.

Italian Marco Morea (C), manager of the Bosch Shenzhen plant, paddles with his teammates in the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen Nan’ao) Maritime Dragon Boat Race in Dapeng New Area on Saturday. Dragon boat races were held across the city in the past few days to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, which fell on yesterday this year.

Among the 12 teams present Friday, the Hong Kong team shone brightly with a diverse international roster that included members from the U.K., South Korea, Japan, Moldova, and various other countries and regions.

For Tafadzwa Mackenzie Kadere, from the U.K., participating in the event for the second time was a thrilling experience.

“The dragon boat racing community continues to grow every year. I’ve made numerous new friends from Shenzhen and Guangzhou, particularly with members of a seasoned team that has already competed in dragon boat races four times this year,” Kadere said.

Daniel Martin, a fitness coach from the U.K., enthusiastically discussed his first time participating in a marine dragon boat race. “Everyone was in high spirit. We had fun together,” said Martin, who has competed in many races elsewhere. “The water in Nan’ao is clear.”

Martin said that the race underscores not just individual strength, but also the essential aspect of team coordination. “It’s more about pulling together as a team, maintaining a synchronized rhythm,” Martin said.

Hoarse from cheering throughout the races, Deng Haipeng, leader of the Shenzhen Longhua Longxie team, shared his excitement. “I am absolutely thrilled! We have retained the championship this year,” he said.

Deng stressed the importance of each team member and the essential need for seamless cooperation. “Paddling in the sea differs notably from river racing because it requires extra strength to contend with the waves — a factor that sets it apart from our usual river training sessions. But the most important factor is how we cooperate with each other,” he said.

In addition to the dragon boat race, the two-day event also featured captivating performances including water surfing, a staged traditional fisherman’s wedding ceremony, and straw dragon dancing.

Further cultural delights await those who visit Nan’ao to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, with food stalls and entertainment offerings, such as pop songs and magic performances, at Yueliang Bay Square from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day until tomorrow.

Across the city, several dragon boat races were held to mark the Dragon Boat Festival, which fell on yesterday this year.

Origin of Dragon Boat Festival

WITH a history of more than 2,000 years, the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which was yesterday this year. The festival has a rich cultural background with several legends.

It is said that in 278 B.C., Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and a senior official in the state of Chu, faced with the pain of national subjugation, threw himself into the Miluo River on the fifth day of May. In order to prevent fish and other aquatic organisms from damaging his body, people put bamboo tubes filled with rice into the river. Subsequently, in order to show their reverence and nostalgia for Qu, people threw bamboo tubes filled with rice into the river in his memory. This is the origin of the earliest zongzi in China. After Qu jumped into the river, people rowed in boats to find his body, which gradually evolved into today’s dragon boat races in southern China. In recent years, this activity has crossed national boundaries and won attention overseas. The festival was the first in China to be listed as a human oral and intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. (SD News)