Since ancient times, Chinese people all around the world have gathered for the Dragon Boat race every year.
Organizers of the dragon boat halted the race due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recently, the age-long tradition of Dragon boats resumed in China.
However, this was not without some changes.
This year, central Taiwan decided to change the time of the boat race to the evening.
The shift aims to take advantage of the cooler evening temperature.
The Dragon Boat Race typically starts with the beating of a rhythm.
A drummer rings out the ancient beat behind a giant dragon head.
Meanwhile, a navigator sits close to the mystical animal, which is shaped like a Chinese harbinger.
Ancient belief has it that the mystical animal produces good luck and prosperity.
To many Chinese locals like Emily, the dragon boat race unites them with others.
Also, it allows them to be a part of something big.
According to Chen Ta-tzung, racing during the daytime makes a person unwell.
This is not the case during the evenings, as the weather is usually cool.
According to Chen, “When we focus on rowing during the race, we cannot enjoy the beautiful scene.” He added that rowing backward is the only way to enjoy the race.
Dragon Boat Race Attracts Excited Participants
Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao hold dragon boat races yearly. However, these races are not without occasional casualties.
This year’s dragon boat race kicked off with twenty-five groups.
Participants in this year’s dragon race were from colleges, companies, and residents in China.
Moreover, they were to race through the 200-meter-long canal.
During the race, two boats collided.
The collision occurred because one of the boats steered away from its lane.
However, a rescue team immediately rescued persons in the collided boats without any harm.
The recent dragon boat race attracted an audience of over 20 million.
They all lined up around the canal with loud cheers.
On Monday, Shi Shulei recounted celebrating the originality of the boat race in east Beijing.
Shulei said, “Nowadays, people celebrate many festivals created in other countries.”
Also, Andy Ng, a coach of one of the local teams in Hong Kong, encouraged team members at the dragon boat race to have team spirit.
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