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Chinese Dragon Boat Races
The
Chinese Dragon Boat Races today marked “Arrival Day” when the Chinese people
first came to Trinidad. Held at the Anchorage just down the road from us, we
wandered along to enjoy this significant celebration which has its roots in the
original festival held in China - one with the longest history. The Dragon
Boat Festival is celebrated by boat races in the shape of dragons. Competing
teams row their boats to a drumbeat to reach the finish end first.
Good drummers should be able to synchronise the drumming cadence with the
strokes of the leading pair of paddlers, rather than the other way
around.
 
 
 
There
were plenty of side shows. The dragon dance. A man
who could stand on light bulbs, lighting the panel with a switch in his right
hand whilst picking a push bike up in his mouth. The
boat races began as an attempt to rescue the patriotic poet Chu Yuan who drowned
on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 277 B.C. Chinese people now throw
bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water so the fish will eat well
rather than the hero poet. This later on turned into the custom of eating
tzungtzu and rice dumplings. The
celebration is a time to seek protection from evil and disease for the rest of
the year. This is done by hanging healthy herbs on the front door, drinking
nutritious concoctions and displaying portraits of the evil nemesis Chung Kuei.
If you manage to stand an egg on its end at exactly twelve noon, the following
year will be a lucky one.
Traditionally made of
teak a dragon boat to a variety
of designs and sizes, it is one of a family of traditional long boats found
throughout Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands. In modern times dragon boat
racing became an international sport in Hong Kong in 1976 but has taken place
annually in China over two thousand years. Dragon boat races are traditionally
held as part of the annual Duanwu
Festival or Duen Ng
observance in China. 19th century European observers of the racing ritual, not
understanding the significance of Duen Ng, referred to the spectacle as a
"dragon boat festival" - a term that has stuck in the West. In December 2007,
the Chinese Government added Duen Ng, Qingming and Mid-Autumn festivals to the
national holidays observed in the People's Republic of China. Some of the races
were really exciting with very close finishes. Many
of the boats were crewed with a mix of Black, White and Chinese which was great
to see. The first race was three boats full of cancer survivors, many schools
were represented - the competition fierce and then the men's teams - all serious
and muscular.
 
We watched the rain cloud come over,
but being true Brits whilst everyone ran for shelter we were
still there on our folding chairs
 
The Turkey Vultures were none too
pleased at being ousted from their strutting grounds by the anchorage
 
We had traditional music as
well as a Chinese Pan Band. There was a scribe writing pretty signs to order.
 
 
There were many dishes to choose from, Bear's lunch of prawns he
described as "Cheeky". Dragons taking a rest.
ALL IN
ALL A REALLY GOOD FIRST DAY OUT BACK IN TRINIDAD
TRINI FUN WITH AN ORIENTAL
FEEL
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