GOIN’ WITH THE FLOW
Californian festival breathing new life into China’s ancient rowing tradition
“Win, win, win!” squealed a handful of athletes cheering on a phalanx of sleek vessels as they sliced effortlessly toward the finish line at the 2018 Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival last weekend.
A couple of thousand spectators turned out on the Saturday and Sunday for the event as dozens of teams from all over the US and Canada battled for prizes and bragging rights.
For the past 20 years, the festival has been one of the leading cultural sporting events on the west coast of the United States.
“If not for the Dragon Boat Festival, all these people here today wouldn’t be visiting the fine city of Long Beach,” said Dr. Howard Chen, the president of the International Cultural Exchange Association and co-founder and promoter of the races.
Dragon boat racing’s original Duan Wu festival began over 2,000 years ago as a memorial to Qu Yuan, a loyal and highly respected poet who sacrificed his life to protest corruption in the Chinese court of Chu (present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces) during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).
Unlike the evil or demonic creatures in European mythology, Asian dragons are traditionally believed to bring good fortune and prosperity.
As the sport expands beyond its Chinese roots, dragon boat races are popping up all over the US, Europe and Asia.
The Long Beach event featured hundreds of participants from a wide variety of races and cultures.
“This event is a celebration of diverse backgrounds and multicultural heritage that fosters camaraderie and good sportsmanship,” Dr. Chen told Xinhua.
“It’s fantastic!” said Maria, a competitor from Los Angeles. “I was not that into sports before but this is just so much fun and you can do it with your friends.”
Referring to Long Beach as the “Aquatic Capital of America”, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia welcomed the “unparalleled talent, determination and sportsmanship” of the participants while promoting the festival as a great way to experience ancient Chinese cultural heritage, traditional dances and performances.
And there were so many great performances for families and friends to enjoy: red, purple and gold “lion dancers” from the Shaolin Temple Kung Fu School, swaying Hawaiian dancers in flowing grass skirts, Asian-style drum corps and traditional Chinese musicians, among other acts.
The audience participated in a rousing Pacific island-style chant to cheer on all the teams and start the races off with a bang.
Good-natured rivalry also added to proceedings. “We’re here for the gold, so get used to it!” crowed a Panda Express team member to a nearby corporate rival.
The competitors wielding the oars ranged from once-a-year recreational paddlers to hardcore rowers who practice every day.
Some attend training camps, while others opt for single-session classes to improve their paddling technique, steering, coaching and team building.
And this sport is not just for the young and fit. Participants ranged in age from high-school students of 16 to over-60s.
As the teams assembled by the boat-loading beach, there was laughter and the cheerful camaraderie that comes from working together to achieve something.
The United States Dragon Boat Festival Federation is responsible for training, encouraging and promoting US teams at domestic and international races. Its mission is to promote fitness, recreation and team building at all levels of competition.
To ready the boats for racing, Dr. Chen and Port of Long Beach commissioner Frank Colonna followed the ancient tradition of “awakening the dragons” by dipping a brush in red paint and dotting the bulging eyes of the carved dragon heads attached to each boat.
This is traditionally believed to awaken the dragon from slumber and re-energize its chi (life energy) for the race.
“This is a great tradition that everyone can enjoy. The races bring a lot of people to Long Beach each year and they always have a lot of fun,” Colonna told Xinhua.
The sponsors included the City of Long Beach, Panda Express, American Airlines, HSBC Bank, the International Cultural Exchange Association and LA County Recreation & Parks.
During the races, drummers pounded out rhythmic beats to help teams keep their strokes synchronized while the steerers barked out encouragement in stentorian tones that could be heard all the way across the inlet.
Each boat sported a golden dragon head and tail as it glided through the water, the crews’ paddles rising and falling like the coils of a dragon as they raced.
There was also a breast cancer survivor crew, which poignantly shared a moment of silence and threw pink carnations into the water to honor friends and family who had lost their battle with the disease.