Читать книгу Paddles Up! - Arlene Chan - Страница 11

Daredevil manoeuvres. Capsized boats. Fierce rivalry. Fighting spectators. So frequent were these incidents that dragon boat races were outlawed in China at the beginning of the twentieth century.¹ The ban was lifted and dragon boating is flourishing as one of the fastest-growing team sports around the world. On the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar falls the Dragon Boat Festival, one of the most popular Chinese festivals. Celebrated on and off as an unofficial holiday in the People’s Republic of China, it became an official state holiday in 2008.

The origins of the dragon boats and the Dragon Boat Festival are buried deep in Chinese history, and many versions abound, all of which share common traditions and rituals, and themes of superstitions, suicides, ghosts, and, most significantly, the dragon.

The Chinese dragon is an ancient mythical creature that has been venerated and honoured as the sacred ruler of the rivers, seas, clouds, and rain. Unlike the fire-breathing and sinister dragon in Western mythology, the Chinese dragon, also known as the River Dragon or Dragon King, was rarely considered malevolent. Although fearsome and powerful, the dragon was worshipped as a benefactor capable of providing enough rainfall for bountiful rice harvests. The dragon’s importance throughout Chinese history is evident everywhere — in paintings, literature, sculpture, dance, clothing, architecture, and music. The earliest dragon figure was unearthed in Inner Mongolia on a jar dating back 6,500 years.² Later regarded as the official symbol of the emperor during the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368 A.D.), the dragon has come to represent China and its people. But nowhere is the presence of this mythical creature more strongly felt than during the annual Dragon Boat Festival when its heartbeat pulses wildly through millions of dragon boat paddlers around the world.

The story of Qu Yuan is the most popular and recognized account of the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. Qu Yuan was a respected and well-loved patriot, poet, and statesman who lived during the Warring States Period, a turbulent time in China’s history when seven feudal states battled for supremacy. The state of Qin, determined to take over its last major adversary, the state of Chu, offered a truce under the guise of a peace treaty. Qu Yuan advised the king of Chu not to sign any such agreement. Not only did the king sign it but he also banished Qu Yuan for what was perceived as advice from a traitor. Wandering aimlessly and proclaiming his love for the state of Chu, Qu Yuan spent his final years writing what was to become some of China’s greatest poetry. When he learned about the fall of Chu to the enemy state of Qin,³ he clutched a rock to his chest and threw himself into the Miluo River. It was the fifth day of the fifth month in 278 B.C.

When news of his drowning reached the villages, the local fishermen raced out in their boats to try to save their beloved statesman. But it was all to no avail. Beating drums and splashing their paddles on the water, they made every attempt to scare away the fish from eating his body. Dragon boat races are said to re-enact the villagers paddling to Qu Yuan’s rescue.

To this day in China, many shrines can be found in his memory. The largest one, Qu Yuan Memorial Hall, was built during the Tang dynasty, and was recently relocated during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze River. International dragon boat races have been held annually since 1991 in Qu Yuan’s hometown of Yueyang, located in what is known today as Hunan Province.

Less known are other legends associated with the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, stories that share the theme of individuals whose deaths resulted in cult status like Qu Yuan’s. Death by drowning or suicide has been linked to the ancient custom of human sacrifice. Some say that the Dragon Boat Festival is held in honour of a young girl, Cao E. After the drowning of her father, Cao E searched for his body along the riverbank. After many days without any success, she threw herself into the river out of grief and despair. On the fifth day of the fifth month, the bodies of the father and daughter arose together to the water’s surface. People were so moved by her filial piety that they commemorate her life and death every year on that day.

Another story, set in the Spring and Autumn period, relates how Wu Zixu, a great military hero and courtier, advised the king of Wu to destroy the defeated state of Yue to prevent a future uprising. Blinded by the veiled obedience of the fallen state, the king did not heed this advice and, instead, ordered Wu Zixu to commit suicide for his dishonourable proposal. On the fifth day of the fifth month, 484 B.C., his body was thrown into the river by order of the king. Ten years later, the state of Yue defeated the state of Wu.

The origin of dragon boats and the Dragon Boat Festival is tied to the rituals and customs associated with an ancient agricultural society, deeply entrenched in ceremonies with dragon-shaped boats well before Qu Yuan’s death. The passage of time was marked by the cycles of ploughing the fields, sowing seeds, nurturing the crops, and harvesting. The Dragon Boat Festival, falling on the fifth day of the fifth month, is more accurately represented by its Chinese name, Duan Wu Jie, meaning Double Fifth Festival. On this day, the spring season ends and the summer begins. Celebrations honouring this benefactor of rain were held at this time. A contented River Dragon would bring enough rain for prosperous crops. A displeased River Dragon would unleash its wrath by withholding rain and causing droughts, or by dispensing too much rain and prompting storms and floods. Capsized boats and drowning during races were considered misfortunes governed by the will of the River Dragon. Casualties were not rescued and those who drowned were considered as sacrifices to venerate the River Dragon. Archaeological excavations show that sacrificial ceremonies were once practised as an important element of many ancient festivals in China. Proof that dragon boating may be the world’s oldest, continuing, competitive activity, pre-dating the Olympic Games of ancient Greece by 1,000 years,⁴ lies in Hubei Province. There, a drawing of dragon boat races that were depicted on a spinning wheel, 4,000 to 5,000 years old, was excavated from ruins in Qujialing.⁵

Flag pullers at the Taiwanese Cultural Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, grab the flags at the finish line. Missing the flag results in disqualification or time penalty.

Historical records show the existence of dragon boats outside of China in Cambodia and Vietnam in the third century A.D., and also in Japan, Borneo, Thailand, and Burma. Taiwan started holding dragon boat races in 1736 and developed them into major sporting events. A popular and unique feature of the Taiwan dragon boat race crews is the flag puller or flag catcher who is positioned at the front of the dragon boat. Nearing the end of the race, this person assumes the critical task of leaning over the dragonhead and pulling the flag positioned at the finish line of the race lane. The first flag puller to grab the flag wins the race for the team.

The yin yang symbol represents an ancient Chinese understanding of how the yin and yang energies are mutually arising, interdependent, and continuously transforming one into the other. It is also a depiction of the celestial phenomenon of the cycle of the sun, four seasons, and the Chinese calendar.

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS OF THE

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

The fifth day of the fifth month was considered the most evil and poisonous day of the year, the beginning of the summer when disease, illness, and death were rampant. Many traditions developed to harmonize the two opposing but complementary forces of yin and yang that were most strongly unbalanced at the onset of the summer. Without the harmony of these dual forces that permeated all life and the universe, the powers of nature wreaked havoc. The symbol of yin yang evokes the harmonious interplay of opposites.

Precautions were taken against the presiding evils of the season, a time for preventive activities in old China. The “Five Poisons” that were prevalent in the fifth month were represented by the snake, liz–ard, toad, centipede, and scorpion. These poisonous and harmful creatures contributed to calamities and the spread of diseases. To combat these evils, their images were prominently incorporated on clothing, cakes, and lucky charms with the belief that the ac–cumulated effect of these five poisons would success–fully combat all other ones. The lucky charms, in the form of “fragrant pouches” or xiangbao, were filled with aromatic herbs and worn by children as protec–tion. Five-coloured threads were given as gifts to avert evil. The five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water were repre– sented by the five colours of azure, red, yellow, white, and black, all working in harmony to banish bad luck. Another defence against evil was the fierce-looking ghost of Zhong Kui always shown brandishing his sword. His portrait was prominently displayed in homes during the festival to guard families from evil ghosts and demons. Branches of calamus, mugwort, and moxa were also hung around the home to ward off misfortune and prevent disease. Many of these precautionary measures remain popular today during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Fragrant pouches are made with cotton or silk and filled with aromatic herbs to prevent illness. These are given to children during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Dotting the eye of the dragon is the ceremonial rite that brings life to the dragon boat and ends its slumber in storage. A local dignitary in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is given this honorary task.

An ancient ritual that continues to be practised, though without its deep religious roots, is the “awakening of the dragon” after the long sleep in storage. Typically, a Daoist priest conducts the ceremony with chanting to ward off evil spirits. Blessing the boats and the burning of paper money and incense makes the boats strong and fierce for the races to follow. The traditional “dotting the eye” ceremony in modern times involves community dignitaries awakening the dragon by dabbing red paint on the dragon’s eye. Red is the colour that symbolizes heat, summer, and fire and represents good fortune and prosperity.

When we get out on the water, I leave it all on the dock, secure in the knowledge that I am surrounded by a strong group of like-minded women who share the same issues, who care deeply about each other and who will work their hardest to reach a common goal …

— Nancy Jones, Toronto

Women were not allowed in dragon boats until modern times. Rather, they paddled in phoenix boats.⁶ In Chinese mythology, the dragon exemplified the masculine principle of yang and the phoenix, the feminine principle of yin in the Chinese ideology of cosmic harmony. Both the sun and the dragon are considered to be male (yang) forces and are most powerful at this time of the year.⁷ Once the dragon was awakened in the ceremony, it had to be treated with respect and protected from anything that might diminish its yang character, such as contact with women. As a result, dragon boat racing was a ritual celebration that excluded women.

Of all the customs associated with the Dragon Boat Festival, none rival that of the preparation and eating of zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in leaves. The story behind these rice delicacies is linked to Qu Yuan. After the villagers arrived too late in their boats to save Qu Yuan from drowning, some say that they threw rice into the water, which the fish or the River Dragon, by other accounts, would eat instead of Qu Yuan’s body. Others say that the rice was to feed the spirit of Qu Yuan in his afterlife. While the real reason remains obscured, the custom of eating zongzi has endured until today. Zongzi can be purchased year round at Chinese restaurants, stores, and bakeries. And, Chinese families continue making these delicacies during the Dragon Boat Festival, their own special recipes handed down through generations.

Zongzi from Beijing are filled with sweet ingredients, like bean paste, walnuts, and dates. In southern China, they are made with salty fillings, like roast duck, chicken, peanuts or salted duck eggs. The third type is preserved in a strong alkaline solution.

We wear kilts and have lucky Chinese coins on our team jersey. We eat Asian foods and Scottish haggis — sometimes combined. It’s become more than just being social…. It’s become a family.

— Todd Wong, Vancouver, British Columbia

Dragon boat races, rooted in the ancient past of gods, ghosts, and superstitions, treaded unfamiliar waters in Western communities for thousands of years. Only recently have they become sporting events that promise fanfare, drums, and excitement. Traditions and rituals are re-enacted in ceremonies to awaken and dot the eye of the dragon, and in dragon boat racing itself. The Dragon Boat Festival, the most international of all festivals from China, is the only one embraced by Chinese and non-Chinese alike. The lure of dragon boating arouses deep passion in the hearts of men and women, young and old.

NOTES

1. Carol Stephanchuk and Charles Wong, Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals of China (San Francisco: China Books, 1992).

2. Bian Yi, China Daily, November 29, 1999.

3. With the fall of the last independent state of Chu, the Qin kingdom unified all other states into the first Chinese empire to be ruled by Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. The English word for China is considered to be derived from Qin (pronounced “Cheen”).

4. International Dragon Boat Federation Handbook, 4th edition (IDBF, 2004).

5. Ibid.

6. Henning Wiekhorst, Hong Kong: Mother of Dragons (Hong Kong: Creative-Dragon-Works, 2006).

7. Another translation of “Duan Wu” is “maximum sun” or “upright sun.” On the fifth day of the fifth month, the male forces (yang) are at maximum intensity and the sun reaches it highest position in the sky.

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