Dragon boat racing is a tradition of this Dragon Boat Festival holiday. There are a few interesting points about this sport that you may not know."Today, dragon boat racing (sport and festival) is among the fastest growing of team water sports, with tens of thousands of participants in various organizations and clubs in around 60 countries[....] The sport is recognized for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered amongst participants, and it has also become a very popular corporate and charitable sport." (WIKI)
The thing about this sport that is interesting from a Taiwanese perspective is the use of 'flag catchers'. They usually sit at the tip of the boat in front of the drummer and are there to grab a flag at the finish line. The first boat to grab the flag is the winner. Not grabbing your flag results in a penalty.
For more information and for such useful information as what the difference is between a dragon boat and a canoe or rowboat, visit here.
Taipei's Dragon Boat races take place here: Google Earth marker
Happy Dragon Boat Festival everybody. Don't eat too many ZongZi!
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