1000 boats destroyed in China

by Li Xinran /Sail-World on 27 May 2006 Next time you are complaining about Marine Authorities encroaching on your leisure activities, recognise it could be worse.

The government of Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, has destroyed nearly 1,000 dragon boats ahead of next Wednesday's traditional Dragon Boat Festival – apparently because of safety concerns.

The Shanghai Daily said today the city government spent at least two million yuan to compensate the boat owners.

Owners were paid 1,000 yuan (US$125) to 3,000 yuan (US$250) for each boat destroyed.

Dragon boat racing in the festival is a traditional custom loved by local residents. But the government was afraid of accidents caused by crowded boats, the newspaper said.

The festival, which falls on the fifth day of May according to the Chinese lunar calendar, has two main symbols: dragon boat racing and the popular Chinese food, zongzi - the triangular glutinous rice snack. This year the festival falls next Wednesday.

More than 3,000 years ago, the Chinese held boat races to appease the water gods to try to prevent floods and other natural disasters. However, legend has added a mysterious flavor to the sport as the racing is now widely regarded as a commemoration of the death of the poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), who drowned himself in the Miluo River of today's Hunan Province.

The beating of drums and the splashing of oars which are so much part of dragon-boat racing were originally intended to scare away fish who might desecrate the poet's body.

Paddlers race in boats that are always colorfully decorated with dragon designs. The sport requires team members to move in unison, combining strength and teamwork in a boat. That's why each boat carries a steersman (cox) and a drummer, along with the paddlers.

The sport is now popular around the world.

Source: www.shanghaidaily.com