Life of Guangzhou - Dragon Boats, The Ships of Dreams

Craftsman carefully carves the dragon boat.

The 7th World Dragon Boat Tournament was held in Berlin in 2005. Held every four years, the racing at this event is the best in the world. 83 dragon boat teams with 2,200 athletes from 19 countries and regions attended the competition, with a team from Shunde in Guangdong province taking part in 25 events and winning 7 gold medals and a runner-up ; finally the overall champion of the competition.

Dragon boat racing, now well known anywhere in the world where there's a Chinese community and some water, was invented in Shunde city south of Guangzhou, where the boat-making has been viewed as a tradition to be handed down from one generation to another.

Making a dragon boat is no easy job. There's ritual cleansing for the craftsman who, before he even selects the wood, must fast, bathe himself thoroughly, burn incense and worship the Water Gods! After a complicated process of planing and shaping, a new dragon boat is unveiled to an admiring public, before a right royal launching ceremony accompanied by firecrackers and blessings from villagers and holy men.

Dragon boat sails in a village.

However, in a historical twist, rivers are dwindling nowadays in Shunde, and even though dragon boat racing is a favorite sport of citizens, ironically, dragon boat-making is on the verge of becoming a lost art. According to Zhang Yongxi, member of Shunde's History Academy, the boom period for dragon boats was during the Qing dynasty and later in the 20s to 30s (1931-1941) in the Republic of China period. Workshops are difficult to find these days in the Pearl River Delta. Only a couple of large scale shops remain in Panyu and Shunde city. Says Zhang, "dragon boats made in these two workshops are as long as several dozen meters. The wood used in construction is all imported from Vietnam and Thailand. " A high-quality dragon boat can last for hundreds of years.

Dragon boats are a symbol of Unity and Struggle. The mighty racing teams and spectators alike feel the energy, the grit, the determination rising off the water. It's a pity that dragon boat making is a fading art.

But Mr. Zhang and others still hope this kind of vigorous competition will enjoy a future, with the hope of cultural support and protection from the government.

(by Carrot Chan, David Kellaway)