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Penang International Dragon Boat
Festival
Dragon boating, Penang, Malaysia
When: May 2008 (annual)
Where:Teluk Bahang Dam
During the Penang Dragon Boat
Festival local teams race
beautifully-painted boats with
dragons-head prows on the Teluk
Bahang Dam, urged on by pounding
drums and roaring crowds. First held
in 1979, 2005 sees this modern
competition's 26th anniversary
celebrations.An exciting series of
races delights spectators during the
event. Every boat has a cox - who
beats a rhythm on ceremonial drums
to keep the rowers in time. The
winners of the races are crowned
king for the year, a great honour
among the Chinese in Penang.
The races take place in remembrance
of a great Chinese poet, Qu Yuan,
who lived as a courtier in the court
of the Chou Dynasty until one day he
was thrown into the sea after
maltreatment at the hands of a
corrupt and evil official. When the
local fishermen learnt of the poet's
demise, they set out in their boats,
trawling the waters to find him.
Legend has it that as they attempted
to rescue him, they beat drums to
scare fish away and threw dumplings
into the sea to keep the fish from
eating his body. During the festival
period, people eat rice-and-meat
dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves
and many look forward to swimming,
or even simply dipping their hands
in the water, to symbolise trying to
save him. |
