Dragon Boat racing

Dragons on the Water

2009

How a 2000-year old legend came to life in London’s Docklands

Passers-by walking near the river on June 28th may well have wondered why 40 crews of rowers in long, thin, dragon-headed boats were racing each other down the Thames on a summer Sunday morning.

The story goes thus: in China, more than 2000 years ago, a patriotic government minister named Qu Yuan, distraught at the corruption within his government, threw himself into a river to end his life. However, he was loved by the local people and they raced to the spot in long, narrow paddle boats to rescue him. As they rowed, they beat drums, and when they found that they had arrived too late, they threw parcels of rice wrapped with bamboo leaf into the river so that the fishes wouldn't eat Qu Yuan's body.

Nowadays, the event is commemorated in the Dragon Boat Festival – a day still celebrated by London’s Chinese community and other Chinese communities around the world. The rowing of dragon boats commemorates the people’s frantic dash to save Qu Yuan and parcels of rice are still thrown into the water as they were 2000 years ago.

London’s version of the festival is now in its 13th year. The day saw visitors cheering the boat crews and enjoying an all-day programme of entertainment including a Lion Dance, Chinese food and drinks and a kung-fu demonstration. The festival will be returning to Docklands at the same time next year: watch this space for details.