Come and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival through festivities and heated dragon boat competitions with fellow residents! The “Health and Happiness on Taipei’s Riverside: 2012 Taipei Dragon Boat Festival” will be taking place between June 22 and 24 at the Dajia Riverside Park.

This year, the activities comprise Taiwan’s largest dragon boat competition – with awards up to NT$400,000! In addition to the opening ceremony and athletes’ night, spectators and participants alike will be able to enjoy great shows and stage performances throughout the festival period. There’s also room for family fun at the fairground next to the riverside, with stalls offering snacks, DIY classes, and other products.

Dragon Boat: Differences and Variations

The history of the Dragon Boat Festival can be traced back to the Kingdom of Chu during the Warring States Period in Chinese history roughly two-to-three thousand years ago. There is no “set standard” for dragon boats; these vessels vary in appearance, standard, measurement, purpose, construction material, and even onboard equipment depending on geographical regions and eras.
According to Taiwanese dragon boat craftsman Liu Ching-cheng, he has constructed dragon boats of different standards over the years, including those with seven-pair oars, eight-pair oars, nine-pair oars, eleven-pair oars, twelve-pair oars, as well as ones with body length between 33 and 60 Taiwanese-feet. The only limit on the appearance of the dragon boat, according to Liu, is one’s imagination of what a dragon looks like.

In Taiwan alone, the differences between the dragon boats of Taipei and Tainan could be seen from the size, structure, and the patterns of these vessels. The placement of the dragonhead of Taipei’s dragon boats is much lower, making flag-grabbing much easier than its counterparts; the rudder is not fastened, allowing for steering and rowing. Meanwhile, the dragonhead of Tainan’s boats is much higher and the rudders are fixed to maximize the effectiveness of steering.
Due to the variations in structure and types of dragon boats, the vessel also affects the “balance” of team members. Take for example the two different leagues of Taipei’s dragon boat competition – the “Large” dragon boats and “Small” dragon boats; each team has a team leader, coach, and a manager. For the large-scale boats, there are 18 rowers, 1 flag-grabber, and 1 drummer; for the smaller boats designed for high-school students, the standard is 10 rowers and 1 drummer. For teams from Tainan which use boats with higher dragonhead placement, the position of flag-grabber is completely eliminated.

Following Ancient Customs with Painting the Dragon’s Eyes

On the eve before the actual dragon boat competition and the carnival, Taipei City Government would follow ancient customs in holding a ceremony to “paint the dragon’s eyes” on the newly finished dragon boats. In recent years, the ceremony has been held at the Qu Yuan Temple in Zhoumei Borough – the only temple in Taiwan dedicated to the worship of Qu Yuan.
This year’s event will be no exception, with Mayor Hau Lung-bin presiding over the event as the main ceremony officer in charge of rituals such as “welcoming the Gods,” “painting the dragon’s eyes,” and “paying homage to the river.” Furthermore, a number of performing groups from local communities will also take part in a street parade to enhance the festive atmosphere and introducing foreign friends and ambassador to the finer parts of traditional culture.

Dragon Boat Tournament Registration

Online registration for the dragon boat race is also available at the activity website (http://2012dragonboat.tpec.edu.tw/bin/home.php). Information is available in both Chinese and English.

The registration period for this year’s competition is from May 10 (8 AM) to May 21 (5 PM). For more details, please visit the aforementioned website.

Agenda for 2012 Taipei Dragon Boat Festival