Fierce dragon head on bow of racing boat. Dragon Festival Lake Phalen Park St Paul Minnesota USA
DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL. The dragon boat races are an integral part of the Dragon Festival. The goal for the races is to bring to life the history of dragon boat racing and to encourage everyone to participate in a team sport that originated in Asia. Approximately 20-24 boat teams take part in races over the two-day event. The BOATS: These sleek, ornately designed boats are each 40-ft long and under 4-ft. in width. Each comes with a drum to provide the rhythm for the paddlers. The character of each boat is shown through its intricately designed head and tail representing the most venerated mythical beast in Chinese folklore - the dragon. The dragon is a believed to be a benevolent creature with powers to bring rain (that guarantees good harvest) and the power to ward off illness THE TEAMS: Each team consists of 20 team members: 18 paddlers, one flag catcher, and one drummer. Each team is given a practice session on Saturday with timed races on Sunday. THE HISTORY of dragon boat racing dates back 2,400 years to China. It originated as a day to commemorate the death of Wat Yuen (Qu Yuan) - a poet, minister and counselor to the emperor during the Chu dynasty. Wat saw the corruption within the government but could not get the emperor to bring about changes. Tired of his protests, the emperor dismissed him. Despondent, he wrote one of his most beautiful poems and then threw himself into the river to express his despair and sorrow. Local fishermen raced to the tragic scene in their boats, splashing water with their oars in an effort to scare away the fish. They also dropped rice dumplings into the river as a way to distract the fish so they would not eat Wat's body.
Size: 5421px × 3614px
Location: St Paul Minnesota USA
Photo credit: © Steve Skjold / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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