The Dragon Boat Festival or Duanwujie was on June 8^th this year. To celebrate, the Xicheng District Sports Office organized dragon boat races for the employees of several Beijing companies at Houhai's Sailing Club. It gave the opportunity to discover this traditional sport in the heart of the capital.

Beijing's lakes slowly woke up to the sound of drums. Two days before the Duanwujie Festival, which this year was on June 8^th, 120 employees from several local businesses gathered by the Xicheng District (north-west Beijing) Sports Office, around morning dragon boat races to celebrate this traditional Chinese festival (see box). This was a first time event for the Houhai "Gold Sailing" club nautical, one of the other sponsors of this annual event which usually takes place in the distant suburb of the capital.

Located at the north-west lakes, the sailing club put away its canoes, pedal boats and surfboards to make room for two yellow and red boats with a dragon heads and tails. In plain colored t-shirts, white caps and a lifejacket, competitors are divided into ten teams. Prior to boarding the boat the teams divide up into ten rowers each equipped with a paddle sitting into five rows, a drummer to give the pace at the front, and a person responsible for steering at the rear.

People of all ages are there, as potbellied men with gray hair pair up with young twenty year olds. There is also no distinction between the sexes even if there are only a few dozens of women. But it isn't because they are doing a sporting activity that they cannot be feminine: some of them are wearing high heels and skirts.

An annual appointment

The race starts with entangled paddles and laughter. Drums are pounding and the rowers encourage each other. After about twenty minutes, the winning team docks to the banks. "I'm exhausted," shouts one red-faced competitor. "Congratulations!" compliments the next team.

The race is very amateur and it is justified. "We only practiced once before this meeting," says one 24 year old. "It's tiring but fun," she says. "The most difficult part is to synchronize 12 people. It is a true team sport". When talking about her family she says that "we will see street performances and we eat zongzi (editor's note: triangular cake of glutinous rice mixed with red beans or other, all wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed)."

Same time next year, this young Chinese can add another activity to the Duanwujie Festival. For the sailing club of Houhai expects to renew the experience and make it an annual appointment.

Practical Information:
Houhai's Nautical Club "Gold Sailing" (北京金帆运动俱乐部):  Open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM. 81A Houhai Xiyan, Xicheng District. 西城区后海西沿甲81号. Tel: 010.64.01.26.64
Rent a kayak, windsurf board and other navigation equipment: 60 to 80RMB per person per hour. Dragon Boat Rentals: 40RMB per person per hour.
The club also has a bar, and with its traditional Chinese architecture, it offers an ideal setting to relax during the summer.

Text: Aurélie Palancher
Photos: Wang Zhuo
June 2008