Sailongzhou
01 · Historical Records
Dongguan lies on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary: a watery land of marshes, with rivers running in all directions and broad stretches of open water, where racing dragon boats to seize the brocade has continued from the Song dynasty to the present day. Dongguan dragon boating is closely related to the development of the Pearl River Delta's sand fields and to settlement by lineage groups; the great families of each surname organized dragon boats around their ancestral halls and streams, and used boat visits to maintain ties of marriage and long-standing friendship. From the eighth day of the fourth lunar month each year the people of Dongguan begin making preparations for dragon boat racing, and by the end of the fifth month this forms a 'dragon boat month' lasting more than a month.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Dongguan lies on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary, a watery land of marshes with rivers running in all directions and broad stretches of open water, where racing dragon boats to seize the brocade has continued from the Song dynasty to the present day. Every year from the eighth day of the fourth lunar month the people of Dongguan begin making preparations for dragon boat racing, and this continues until the end of the fifth month: they paddle dragon boats, wash in the dragon boat water, attend the dragon boat scenes, eat dragon boat cakes and dragon boat rice, and sing dragon boat songs, for more than a month — hence the name 'dragon boat month'. The central activity of the dragon boat month is the racing, also called the 'dragon boat scene'. It includes launching the boats, 'seizing the green' (qiang qing), setting the marker, attending the scenes (chen jing), capturing the marker and presenting the rewards — the liveliest spectacle in Dongguan. Racing takes two forms. One is the friendly contest called 'attending the scene' (chen jing): no prizes are set and no special organization is needed; when two or more dragon boats meet on the river they race spontaneously, gathering and dispersing freely. The other is 'racing dragon boats to seize the brocade' (sai long duo jin), also called 'releasing the marker' (fang biao), 'contending for the marker' (dou biao) or 'contending at the grand scene' (dou da jing). The Dongguan dragon boat scenes begin each year at Wanjiang. The elders and people of Wanjiang regard the dragon boat race as a great event for their native place; in the ten-odd days before the race they select the youngest and strongest townsmen with racing experience, who brave the summer heat, the blazing sun, the wind and the rain as they train and warm up. At the starting command several dozen dragon boats shoot like arrows loosed from a bow, spraying water, each straining for the lead. The cheers of the spectators along the banks shake heaven and earth; this is called 'the first dragon boat scene of Dongguan'. Afterwards the towns and villages, yielding ground and sharing benefits with one another, fix the dates of their own dragon boat scenes. On those days the dragon boats of every town and village must attend the scenes of villages that are long-standing friends, close ties, or of the same surname, so as to preserve the friendship built up over the generations. Today the dragon boat scenes have developed into a recreational competitive activity in which the masses take enthusiastic part.
Dragon boat month, rice, cakes and songs
The month-long season from the eighth of the fourth lunar month in which Dongguan rows, bathes in dragon-boat water, feasts and sings.
Chen jing (friendly meeting)
The friendly form of Dongguan racing: no prizes and no organiser, boats that meet on the river race spontaneously and disperse freely.
Racing for the brocade
The competitive form with prizes posted, also called setting, fighting or contesting the great scene.
Wanjiang and Dongguan's first scene
The season always opens at Wanjiang, where crews are picked and drilled for days beforehand and the race is a matter of local honour.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Dragon boat racing is a traditional athletic competition rich in the local characteristics of Dongguan.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Sailongzhou · Sailongzhou · Sailongzhou.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The climax of the Dongguan dragon boat month is the 'dragon boat scene', centred on Wanjiang and known as 'the first dragon boat scene of Dongguan'. The events include launching the boats, 'seizing the green' (qiang qing), setting the marker, attending the scenes (chen jing), capturing the marker and presenting the rewards. Racing falls into two types: one is 'attending the scene', which sets no prizes and happens whenever two boats meet; the other is 'racing dragon boats to seize the brocade', which sets a marker for boats to capture, also called 'releasing the marker' (fang biao), 'contending for the marker' (dou biao) or 'contending at the grand scene' (dou da jing). The towns and villages then yield ground and share benefits as they schedule their own dragon boat scene days, and on those days they must attend the scenes of villages with long-standing friendships, close ties or a shared surname. Dragon boating has thus become a bond of rural social relations in the Pearl River Delta.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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