Dragon Boat Festival – the Origin

Qu Yuan, an ancient Chinese statesman in the pre-imperial Warring States period ( 475 – 221 BC ), was banished from his state by the emperor, who fell under the malicious influence of corrupt, slanderous bureaucrats. In exile, Qu wrote some of the greatest poems in Chinese literature expressing his love for his state, and his concern for its future.

When Qu Yuan learned of the impending invasion by a neighbouring Warring State, he waded into the Miluo River, tethered to a rock in order to commit ritual suicide as a protest.

The common folks, upon learning Qu’s suicide, rushed out on the water in fishing boats and tried desperately to save Qu Yuan. In despair, they beat drums and splashed the water with their paddles in order to keep the fish and evil spirits from Qu’s body. They sprinkled rice dumplings in the river to feed the fish, to keep them from consuming the poet’s body.

Year after year, generation after generation, in commemoration of Qu Yuan, people in China hold boat races annually on the day of his death, the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar. The boats are traditionally very long and narrow, canoe-style vessels, adorned with carved ornamental heads and tails of dragons, which are believed to be rulers of rivers and seas and dominate the clouds and rains of heaven.

Dragon Boat Race -
A Water Sport Embraced by Modern World

Today, dragon boat racing is held globally. It is now an annual event held in over 40 countries. All over the world, far and wide, people embrace this water sport and form dragon boat racing clubs in their own countries.

The two most established Dragon Boat Race Festivals in Canada – Toronto and Vancouver – spearheaded the Dragon Boat Council of Canada, the national dragon boat organizing body in Canada. The mission of the Council is to work together to develop criteria and processes to select national dragon boat champions to represent Canada in International and World Championships.