Shanghai Star Weekend May 29,2008
By Jo McDermott
The Dragon Boat Festival is coming and for dozens of expats and Chinese alike, this means one thing — it's time to row, row, row your boat in the river — and that means everyone on board.
The 2008 International Dragon Boat Race taking place on June 8 in Qingpu District is open to every-one, even if you pick up a paddle for the first time on the day of the race. For many, it's a great chance to participate in a physical activity that's loaded with fun and sit in a boat with upwards of 18 people.
It's also a chance to get some friends together and do something completely different with a deep-root-ed Chinese history.
Although there are various versions of the story, it is believed the sport of dragon boating began in 278 BC when Qu Yuan, a beloved diplomat and poet, drowned himself in Miluo River in protest against corruption. His suicide drew rescuers from nearby villages to try and paddle to his aid.
Canadian Sherry Poon, 32, has been a member of Shanglong Dragon Boat Club for six years.
“I did a lot of sports in Canada and when I came here I wanted to try sports that had something to do with China. I went out to try dragon boating one weekend and loved it and thought the people were great,” she said.
There are about 11 different nationalities aged be-tween 20 and 60 who regularly practice and compete and they practice every Sunday at the National Wa-ter Sports Center, usually taking part in five or six races a year. The club has 400 people registered as members.
Poon explained that in dragon boating, there are 20 paddlers in the boat, sitting in two rows, plus a drummer who acts like a cox making sure everyone rows in time, and a steersperson who navigates.
“The boat is very heavy,” she added. But although it is something she is often asked about, she says in her six years she has never been in a boat that's cap-sized.
“We've often jumped in the river to cool down, though,” she said.
Last weekend, the club gave around 50 people a free taste of what dragon boating is about, taking them out to Dianshan Lake in Qingpu to practice.
Another free practice session will be held in the autumn, most likely October.
She recommends dragon boating as a hobby.
“It's good exercise and great to get out of the city and be on the water on a sunny day,” she said. The club is often invited to compete against professional racing teams,being something of anovelty made up of so many different nationalities. On June 8, they will make up a team with Beijing to go and compete in Hunan.
Here in Shanghai, Lucy Zhao, branch manag-er at iMandarin Language Training Institute on Huaihai Road, is taking calls from people register-ing for the race in Qingpu. You can enter as an in-dividual and be assigned a team or get together a team of 18 paddlers and a drummer and have your own boat.
Zhao, 27, entered last year and was a drummer.
“It was a great experience. Many people had never done it before, but we had a 1-hour practice session before the race and a warm-up and everyone wore life jackets. There were 12 teams and we came sixth. Most of our team were women and we were compet-ing against men so we were quite pleased with where we finished,” she said.
The sign-up fee is 220 yuan for paddlers,130 yuan for non-paddlers and 4,500 yuan for a team of 18 paddlers and one drummer. Lunch, transport and event T-shirts are included. To register, call 3308-0508 by June 4.
If you would like more information about Shanglong Dragon Boat Club, email dragonboatsh@yahoo.com.
Last year's iMandarin team came sixth
Shanglong Dragon Boat Club is made up of 11 different nationalities
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