After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the carnival-like annual Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships finally resumed at Taipei’s Dajia Riverside Park on the Keelung River from June 22 to June 24.
Activities at the International Dragon Boat Championships
In addition to dragon boat racing, a series of side events were also held to promote water activities and the cultural heritage, including “Dragon Boat Eye Dotting and River Worshiping Ceremony,” “Steersperson’s Training Workshop,” “Dragon Boat Experience Camp,” “Simulation Pool Training,” “Dragon Boat Practice on Keelung River,” as well as an array of other performances.
Please watch the 2023 Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships video for more exciting images.
Participants in the International Dragon Boat Championships
Organized by the Department of Sport, the Taipei City Government, the Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships is the most famous dragon boat racing in Taiwan and one of the largest in Asia.
This year, about 5,100 contestants from 210 teams hailing from Taiwan, the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, and South Korea participated in various categories of the Championships to compete for US$106,000 (NT$3.19 million) in prizes.
In addition to corporate teams, there were also many other teams from various walks of life, such as indigenous groups, road runners, triathlon clubs, swimming clubs, alum associations, LGBT groups, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and the Philippine Representative Office in Taiwan that joined in the dragon boat race this time.
The dragon boats of the International Dragon Boat Championships
Featuring long and narrow boats with colorfully-painted carved dragon heads, tails, and scales, the dragon boats used at this international championship are traditional wooden dragon boats, as opposed to fiberglass dragon boats that many other dragon boat races in Taiwan have adopted.
Furthermore, these wooden dragon boats are handmade by master boat builder Liu Ching-cheng (劉清正), one of Taiwan’s last professional dragon boat builders. Since the production of wooden dragon boats requires traditional woodworking and hand painting, they are considered works of art.
In particular, the use of standard-sized wooden dragon boats preserves the tradition of “flag catching” to determine the winner of the race, which truly enhances the excitement of the competition.
Historical background of the International Dragon Boat Championships
Dragon boat racing is the essential activity of the Dragon Boat Festival. The festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar, which fell on June 22 this year. It is one of the three major festivals in Taiwan, along with Lunar New Year and the Moon Festival.
The earliest dragon boat racing in Taipei dates back to 1895 during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945). The Taiwanese government sponsored the first official dragon boat race in 1974. Aiming to promote the Chinese Cultural Revival Movement and to advocate sports for all, the event was called the “Taipei City Chiang Kai-Shek Cup Dragon Boat Championships (臺北市中正杯龍舟錦標賽).”
In earlier years, the dragon boat race was held near the Zhongxing Bridge on the Danshui River. Afterward, it was moved to Shuiyuan Riverside Park under the Zhongzheng Bridge. Since the completion of the straightening projects of the Keelung River in 1995, the event has been held at Dajia Riverside Park of Keelung River.
The legend behind Dragon Boat Racing
Dragon boat racing has been part of Chinese culture. It can be traced to southern China about 2,500 years ago during the Warring States Period (402-221 B.C.). It is said to have originated from the legend of people paddling out in boats to search for the body of patriotic poet Qu Yuan (343-278 B.C.), who tragically threw himself into the Miluo River after being accused of treason and exiled for giving the king good advice.
The legend and the festival have been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times. Today, dragon boat racing is popular in China and many other countries worldwide, such as Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Hong Kong.
