History of Dragon Boating

Dragon Boating originated in China some 3,000 years ago and many myths and legends surround its origins. The most popular tells of local fisherman rushing to their boats after discovering that their beloved poet Qu Yuan had thrown himself into the Milou river to drown.

Previously a respected member of Emperor Zhow’s Court, Qu Yuan was exiled by the other members of the court as his influence with the Emperor grew and his eventual suicide was brought about in a fit of depression after hearing of the defeat of his beloved Emperor by the Qin Kingdom.

The fishermen, who desperately paddled out in their long boats in an effort to save his body, beat drums to scare the fish away and threw zong zi (a type of glutinous rice ball with a filling, wrapped in corn leaves) into the water to feed braver fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan's body.

Now, on the anniversary of his death: the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Chinese calendar (around the 6th June on our calendar), huge celebrations are held world wide in honour of his memory.

I was honoured to be one of the dragon boat instructors who took part of the 2007 London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, organised to celerbrate the tenth anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a region that was created when Hong Kong was handed back to the Chinese Government in 1997.