The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-25
DRAGON BOAT DAY.
A CHINESE HOLIDAY RESEM-
BLING FOURTH OF JULY.
Origin of the Festival-The Dragon
Boat Races at Canton-Great
Crowds of Chinese in
Holiday Attire.

or1R1n OIL the fcSClFdl-1he DFdSoh
Boat Races at Canton-Great
Crowds of Chinese in
Holiday Attire.
A writer in the Chinese Evangelist says
that great gala day in China is the
Dragon Boat festival, or the feast of the
fifth day of the fifth moon. 1t resembles
our Fourth of July more than any other
holiday of the Chinese, and has many
features of interest in connection with 1t
which are we'll worth describing.
The origin of the festival dates back
to the year $50 B. C. At that time there
lived statesman, Kuh Yuen who was
celebrated for his virtues and his in
tegrity. 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
punishment wore upon him until life
became unbearable, and after composing
an ode recountiug' his misfortunes and
his devotion to his prince, he rowed to
the middle of the Mihlo river in 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 exchanged among friends.
At Canton, where the river and canals
give ample water room for the boa's to
race and parade, the festival is seen at
its best, and the day is long looked for
ward to with great antlcipations 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 hundred feet in
length with a projecting Prov shaped
like the mythical dragons head, and
stern representing his tail. The rowers
use paddles only, and are all seated in
row down each side of the boat facing
the bow, and when it is impossible for
the boat to turn, at given signal each
man reverses in his seat and the dragon
navigates tail first. In the centre of the
boat is huge drum and gong on which
continual beating is kept up, and with
which the rowers keep time. At inter-
vals between the centre 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 conch-she blower adds
his efforts to the din. The dragon boats
are built and owned by different clans,
guilds or villages, and there is great ri.
valry 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 prac.
ticing for the race. On the day itself
every one comes out in his bright
est clothes, and the banks of the
river and canals are crowded
with an ever increasing throng,
all eagerly watching for the first arrival
of the boats. When the sound of the
drum and gong and the shouts can be
heard in the di:tance, the phlegmatic
Cinnamon lose for once their sedatencss,
and when the long boat with its hand
some silk banners, embroidered flags,
gayly- -attired boatmen and band comes
into view, shout goes up from the
crowd, frecrackers are discharged in
salvos, and the pleasure of the day COM
mences. The boatmen respond to the
welcome by redoubled shouts and row in
quicker time. To make the excitement
greater another boat appears, perhaps
from some district which was the winner
last year. Then the greatest fun of the
day is witnessed. ga race!" 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, 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 already fraught with the report of the
frecrackers and the noise OF the crowd.
So fierce is the rivalry that the par
tisans of each clan, who usually follow
the boats in smaller ones, often carry
stones and weapons to use with merciless
effect if their boat should be defeated.
These attendant boats supply substitute
rowers in case, as it very 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 shopkeepers
before whose buildings they pass. The
pig exchange at Canton is situated near
the opening of the canal, which divides
the English concession from the Chinese
city. 1t is always liberal in its gifts,
consequently the canal is alive the whole
day with dragon boats, and the writer,
who lived next door to the exchange,
used to look forward with the same
eagerness as the Chinese children to the
fifth day of the fifth moon, and the
pageant made a lasting impression on
the mind. We used to invite our Chinese
friends to witness the parade from our
windows, from which view of the
canal for half mile could be had, with
the confused mass of humanity on both