A Brief History of Dragon Boats

With a history of more than 2,500 years, the sport of dragon boating originated in ancient China. The legends include warring states, radical politics, and fierce loyalty and passion written poetically by one man – Qu Yuan. Exiled from the land he loved, Qu Yuan committed suicide in the Miluo River in a final form of protest against the corruption of his era.

During an attempt to save Qu Yuan, the locals took to the river in their fishing boats, splashing their paddles to keep the water demons and evil spirits away.

Modern-day dragon boating has few elements to this ancient tale remaining, evolving into a worldwide competitive sport. In recent years, festivals with traditional Asian flare and culture are commonplace alongside a dragon boat race. High-level competitions have also been organized since the mid-1970s. The sport’s growth has been most commonly found at the grassroots level. Dragon boating has become an extremely popular vehicle for fundraising and a tool for corporate team building.

Teams with 18-25 people from all walks of life, any age, size, ability, and gender, learn to paddle on a dragon boat team. Twenty paddlers are seated in 10 rows of 2 with a drummer sitting in the bow, facing the paddlers. The paddler’s job is to paddle in unison with the entire team. The drummer aims to beat the drum in sync with the paddlers and motivate their team to the finish line. A steersperson (provided by the festival organizers) stands in the stern of the boat, guiding the boat straight down the racecourse with a 9-foot oar.