Participants compete in a dragon boat race as part of celebrations marking the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, held throughout Hong Kong, Friday, June 7, 2019. Dragon boat races are in remembrance of Chu Yuan, an ancient Chinese scholar-statesman, who drowned in 277 B.C. while denouncing government corruption. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chinese take to the seas in annual dragon boat races

By The Associated Press June 7, 2019 at 3:20am

HONG KONG (AP) — People in China and several other parts of Asia competed Friday in annual dragon boat races, a tradition with roots dating back more than 2,000 years.

The dragon boats are built in the shape of war canoes and ornately carved and painted with dragon heads and tails. The largest boats are up to 12 meters (39 feet) long and carry a crew of 46 paddlers.

In Hong Kong, competitors took part in the races in Aberdeen Harbor. Accompanied by the beat of the drums, the boats raced against each other to the finish line, where the winner received a victory flag.

Afterward, competing teams used their paddles to splash water at each other, a way to share good fortune.

In Taiwan, dozens of teams took part in races in Taipei.

The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and politician who is said to have drowned himself more than 2,000 years ago to protest against government corruption.

Legend has it that locals wanting to prevent fish from eating Qu’s remains splashed water and pounded drums to scare them away. They also threw rice dumplings in the water to feed the fish.

These days, the races have become an event for companies, associations and group of friends to gather and build team spirit.

In addition to the races, the festival is also marked by eating traditional rice dumplings.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

WJ Wire

The Associated Press

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter

@AP

Facebook

The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.

Location

New York City