Sailongzhou
01 · Historical Records
Since ancient times the people of Zhenyuan have had a custom of commemorating the patriotic poet Qu Yuan with dragon boat races; as early as the Ming dynasty Zhenyuan enjoyed the reputation of a 'hometown of dragon boats'. The Ming-dynasty Guizhou Tongzhi (Gazetteer of Guizhou) records: 'Zhenyuan Prefecture — at the Duanyang festival they hold racing contests; the prefecture faces the river's waters, where boats and oars are convenient. Since the 1980s dragon boat racing has become livelier still, and in the mid-1990s the 'Zhenyuan Duanyang Dragon Boat Festival' was formally named; it has now reached its twenty-sixth edition.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Zhenyuan dragon boat racing is a traditional athletic and recreational activity in which many ethnic groups take part. Each year at the Duanyang (Dragon Boat) Festival, Zhenyuan County in Guizhou Province holds dragon boat racing events centred on the dragon boat races and also comprising traditional dragon-worship ceremonies, dragon and lion dances through the streets, decorated boats parading on the river, duck-snatching in the water, setting river lanterns adrift, fireworks and theatrical performances. In ancient times Zhenyuan belonged to the state of Chu, and Chu customs prevailed. ...those who pull the boat and vie to be first across will find all the year's undertakings go smoothly. The custom by which the people of every ethnic group seek peace and good fortune through Duanyang racing has been passed down from generation to generation.
The dragon sacrifice
The opening rite on the Wuyang riverbank, kept from generation to generation in what was once Chu territory.
Painted boats and street parades
The decorative boats parading the river and the dragon and lion teams parading the streets.
River lanterns and fireworks
The night phase of the festival, with lanterns floated on the Wuyang and fireworks over the town.
The Zhenyuan Dragon Boat Festival
The festival formally named in the mid-1990s and now in its twenty-sixth edition, centred on racing but including ritual and performance.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Zhenyuan stands on the banks of the Wuyang River, an ancient land-and-water thoroughfare of eastern Guizhou; within the city the prefectural city and the guard city face each other across the river, and dragon boat teams are mostly formed by streets, communities and villages. Besides the Han Chinese dragon boats, the Miao, Dong and Tujia villages also field teams to compete, and their oars, drum patterns and work songs each have distinctive features. The pre-race dragon-worship ceremony is held on the banks of the Wuyang River, and activities such as dragon and lion dances through the streets and decorated boats parading on the river unfold in sequence, forming a pattern of racing that integrates city and river into one. The Zhenyuan racing boats are long wooden craft, with a dragon head fitted at the bow and traditional painted decoration on the hull; the paddlers sit in the middle, a steersman guides the boat from the stern, and the drummer sits at the bow beating the drum to unify the stroke rhythm. Teams usually take to the water for joint practice half a month before the race, and the drum patterns, work songs and paddling methods are handed down from generation to generation among the streets and villages, each differing somewhat from the others.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Sailongzhou · Sailongzhou · Sailongzhou.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The people of Zhenyuan have since ancient times used Duanyang racing to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, and the town was already called a 'hometown of dragon boats' in the Ming dynasty. The Ming-dynasty Guizhou Tongzhi (Gazetteer of Guizhou) records that Zhenyuan Prefecture faced the river, where boats and oars were convenient, and that at the Duanyang races 'those who pull the boat and vie to be first across will find all the year's undertakings go smoothly' — it can be seen that racing at that time already carried the dual meaning of competing and praying for good fortune. After the 1980s dragon boat racing became active again locally, and in the mid-1990s the 'Zhenyuan Duanyang Dragon Boat Festival' was formally named; it has now been held 26 times, and includes dragon-worship ceremonies, dragon and lion dances through the streets, decorated boats parading on the river, duck-snatching in the water, setting river lanterns adrift, fireworks and theatrical performances. The racing boats are long wooden craft with a dragon head at the bow, paddlers sitting in the middle, a steersman guiding from the stern, and the drummer sitting at the bow beating the drum to unify the stroke rhythm; besides racing for speed, water amusements such as setting river lanterns adrift and snatching ducks are also preserved.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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