Crack! The gunshot of the first race fires and the excitement begins. The rowers begin their rhythmic motions, the water flies, the crowd is cheering, which team with be the first to grab the flag?
Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated in nearly all Asian countries, is known for its Dragon Boat Races. The Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the “fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and together with Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival forms one of the three major Chinese holidays” (www.mofa.gov.tw). I was fortunate enough last year to have had the opportunity to partake in the Taiwan Dragon Boat festivities, and I look forward to racing again in 2013.
The history of the Dragon Boat Festival is as follows,
“Qu Yuan was an advisor in the court of Chu during the Warring States period of ancient China who was exiled by the emperor for perceived disloyalty. Qu Yuan had proposed a strategic alliance with the state of Qi in order to fend off the threatening state of Qin, but the emperor didn’t buy it and sent Qu Yuan off to the wilderness. Unfortunately, Qu Yuan was right about the threat presented by the Qin, which soon captured and imprisoned the Chu emperor. The next Chu king surrendered the state to their rivals. Upon hearing the tragic news, Qu Yuan in 278 B.C. drowned himself in the Miluo River in Hunan Province” (smithsonianmag.com).
When the people heard that Qu Yuan had jumped into the river, they begin rowing dragon boats in attempt to find him. They would throw sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river to distract the fish from eating his body. From then on, it became part of their customs to row the dragon boats and consume sticky rice dumplings.
There are many customs which come along with the Dragon Boat Festival. They differ slightly between countries, but I will tell you of the Taiwanese Dragon Boat customs since I have been able to experience them first-hand. These customs are the criteria I have chosen to evaluate in this blog. The most notable customs of the Dragon Boat Festival are the Dragon Boat races, sticky rice dumplings and other traditional eats, and the hanging of bouquets.
The Dragon Boat races are a three day fiasco with a playoff layout. Teams come to Taiwan from all over the world to take part in the races and take their chance at one million Taiwan dollars in prize money. In Taiwan, teams are placed in heats of four where only the best team moves on. While the onlookers anxiously watch on the shoreline, each team much row to their starting position and wait for the starting gun to fire. Once the gun has fired, the race is on. Each team must row five hundred meters to a flag which is positioned in the middle of the river. Taiwan is the only country in which the competitors must throw the flag into the air at the finish line. Spectators enjoy this custom because the winner of the race is immediately obvious to the crowd.
My experience during the race was unforgettable. It was my first year in Taiwan, and I was unaware of what to expect on my first race day. All I knew was that it was hot and I wanted to win! Seeing as that it is nearly one hundred degrees Fahrenheit during June in Taiwan, our sweat was dripping down our faces, the sun was beating down on our backs and our hands became clammy. Five hundred meters suddenly felt like 500 miles. Each member rows until they feel as though they cannot possibly row any longer. The crowd cheers loudly and the supporters of the teams run alongside the river towards the finish line. The first team to throw their flag into the air is declared the winner and moves onto the next heat. The races are tiring, but exhilarating. The competition is fierce, but there is a lot of joy and a free spirited feel. The feeling of winning is indescribable. After each race, the team must row back up river, passing the judges stand, to display their chant and paddle salute. The Taiwanese people are filled with honor; win or lose, they hold their heads high.
After a grueling race, the best way to recover is to walk over to the riverside market for food. Sausages pierced by a stick, boar grilled with bell peppers and onions, and sticky rice dumplings are the dishes of Dragon Boat Festival. The air is filled with smoke from the barbeques, the odor is sweet, and the visual appeal of the food is magnificent. A visitor to Taiwan’s Dragon Boat races must try all three dishes. The sausages are a newer custom, adopted because of its ease of consumption while watching the races. Each sausage is lightly glazed with a sweet teriyaki sauce. The boar meat is a very traditional dish found only in Taiwan. The boars are caught just outside of the city where the urban jungle meets the lush green tropical rainforest. The boar is
grill
ed to perfection with onions, green bell peppers and a little black pepper. Surprisingly, the boar is tender, and acts as a great snack to refuel during the races. Lastly, and definitely most importantly, are the sticky rice dumplings. The Taiwanese name for these dumplings is zongzi. They are only offered one time a year: at Dragon Boat Festival. They are made of glutinous rice and chopped vegetables. One can often find corn, carrot, olive, fish, or even egg inside. I believe that sticky rice dumplings are a “clear-your-fridge” kind of dish where anything left in the refrigerator is okay to add. The rice is wrapped in a bamboo leaf and steamed for hours, then hung to dry out before being eaten. Living in Taiwan with the motto of “you must try everything at least once” has helped me to experience the good, the bad, and the excellent versions of zongzi. Cody, my best friend and teammate during the Dragon Boat races, refers to the dumplings as the casserole of Asia. He claims that, “anything goes in regard to ingredients for sticky rice dumplings.” The Taiwanese zongzi is unlike that of other countries. Since it is a food that was developed in Taiwan, it is most often created from a recipe passed down through generations.
Mugwort and Iris leaf bouquet
In addition to zongzi and the dragon boat races, there are a lot of other interesting customs that are recognized during the Dragon Boat Festival. Taiwanese residents pin bouquets of mugwort, banyan twigs and iris leaves on either side of the doors to the entrance of their home. As a result of the humid climate of Taiwan, biting flies, mosquitoes and other infection carrying insects multiply in mass quantities during this time of year. This creates great risk for the residents. The Taiwanese consider mugwort to possess medicinal effects. The banyan twigs are thought to bring good health and the iris leaves are thought to expel evil spirits. The people of Hong Kong who celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival prefer to pin only mugwort. I enjoy the superstition that Taiwan recognizes using all three plants. The bouquets that the Taiwanese pin at the entrance to their homes are intended to protect people during this time. This tradition began nearly one hundred years ago in Taiwan, and as opposed to Hong Kong, nearly every resident in Taiwan still places these bouquets outside their residences. My neighbors were kind enough this year to include me in the tradition and helped me to pin my own bouquet outside my door.
The Taiwanese hold strong to their customs and beliefs. These beliefs have created extravagant holidays and events which are nothing short of amazing to experience. My experience in Taiwan regarding the Dragon Boat Festival will forever hold stories to amaze and vivid memories to share. I think that everyone should take the time to travel to Taiwan and feel the excitement of the Dragon Boat Festival.
For a glimpse of my first Dragon Boat race in Taiwan, please watch from 6:17-9:00.
Taiwan 