, 1888-07-22
THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL.
A Picturesque Chinese Holiday-Strange
Races on tho Water.

Races on the Water.
The origin of the festival dates back to
the year 450 II. c.. At hat time there
lived a statesman, Kuh Yuen, who was
celebrated for his virtues and his integ-
rity. He had the courage to urge some
reforms upon his liege which were not at
all pleasing to the monarch. An enemy
took advantage of his loss of favor and
accused him of plotting to usurp the
throne. Kuh Yuen was degraded and
banished from court. This unjust pun
ishment wore upon him until life became
unbearable, and, after composing an ode
recounting his misfortune and his devo-
ton to the prince, he rowed to the mid
die of the Mihlo river in a small boat,
and before his friends could reach him
had thrown himself overheard and was
drowned. The way in which his friends
rowed to the spot to try to rescue him,
each anxious to be the first, is
commemorated by a procession of boats,
and the races between the different boats
are the chief features of the day. On
this day offerings of rice, wrapped in
bamboo leaves and tied with withes, are
thrown into the water to feed his spirit,
and gifts of these same rice balls are ex-
changed among friends. The story is
that for a long time these offerings of
rice were thrown into the water without
being wrapped up, but one year the
spirit of Kuh Yuen appeared to one of
his worshipers and told him that the fish
god devoured all the offerings intended
for the statesman, and that, in order to
prevent his losing his sacrifices, they
must in future be wrapped in bamboo
leaves and a little piece of magic wood
be wrapped up in it, too. Then the
fishes would leave the offerings I'M
touched, and his hungry ghost would be
n~ourished. Since that time the offer
ings have been bound in the manner de-
scribed.
AT Canton, where the river and canals
give ample water room for the boats to
race and parade, the festival is seen at
its best, and the day is long looked for
ward to with great anticipations of pleas
ure, for the Chinese take especial delight
in gorgeous pageants and professions.
The dragon boat is a long, narrow boat,
sometimes sixty to one hundred feet in
length, with a projecting prov shaped
like the mythical dragons head, and a
stern representing his tail. The rowers
use paddles only, and are all seated in a
row down each side of the BOAT facing
the bow, and when it Is impossible for
the boat to turn, at a given signal each
a reverses in his seat and the dragon
navigates tail first. In the center of the
boat is a huge drum and gong on which
q continual beating is kept up, and with
which the rowers keep time. AT inter
walls between the center and the ends are
banners, embroidered standards, smaller
gongs, with handsomely clad men stand
ing by them, who shout and wave flags
or large fans and jump up and down in
time with the beat of the drum, while
occasionally a conch shell blower adds
his efforts to the din.
The dragon boats are built and owned
by different clans, guilds or villages, and
there is a great rivalry between them.
Weeks before the day arrives the distant
sound Of the drum can be heard from
the creeks running into the river where
some boat is practicing for the race. On
the day itself every one comes out in his
brightest clothes, and the banks of the
river and canals are crowded with an
ever increasing throng, all eagerly watch
ing for the first arrival of the boats.
When the sound of the drum and gong
and shouts can be heard in the distance,
the phlegmatic Cinnamon lose for once
their s~edateness, and when the long boat,
with its handsome silk banners, embroid-
cred flags, gayly attired boatmen and
band comes into view a shout goes up
from the crowd, fire crackers are dis
charged in salvos, and the pleasure Of
the day commences. The boatmen re-
spond to the welcome by redoubled
shouts and row in quicker time.
To make the excitement greater an
other boat appears, perhaps from some
district which was the winner last year.
Then the greatest fun of the day is wit
messed. "a racel' is the cry; the first
boat allows its rival to get even with it,
and then, amid the cries and cheers of
the populace, the rowers swiftly ply their
paddles and the long, grotesque, dragon
head shoots over the water, the banner
bearers jump up and down in unison
with the stroke, while the drum and gong
add an unearthly clamor to the air al.
ready fraught with the report of the fire.
crackers and the noise of the crowd. So
fierce is the rivalry that the partisans Of
each clan, who actually follow the boats
in smaller ones, often carry stones and
weapons to use with merciless effect if
their boat should be defeated. These at
tendant boats supply substitute rowers
in case, as often happens, any of the
rowers should be overcome by the heat.
They also take charge of the gifts of wine
and roast pig which are sent out to the
boats by the shop keepers before whose
buildings they pass.-Chinese Evangelist.