The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The boats incorporate a dragonhead and tail, are decorated with paintings and flags, and carry gongs and drums. The head is usually carved from a single block of wood and put in place just before the race. The tail is also formed from single block and characteristically emphasizes the mythical creature's scales.
The dragon-boat regatta is originated in the state of Chu during the Zhou Dynasty as a way of commemorating Qu Yuan, a beloved patriotic poet who lived in present Yichang's Zigui county some 2,000 years ago and took his own life by jumping into the river.
The regatta itself varies from place to place. The Miluo River dragon-boat regatta is especially unique. Every family is expected to contribute materials or money. Stealing wood for the boats is a tradition, since it is said that wood obtained from swift-footed thieves will produce a fast boat. This has become so accepted that people who have their wood stolen don't really mind. On the first day of the festival, the captain will take the carved dragonhead and accompanied by his crew, go to the temple to place it before the Qu Yuan altar, burn incense and pray. The temple itself becomes a joyful place, with firecrackers going off and music filling the air. The head of the temple will drape a piece of red silk around the dragonhead to bring the boat good luck in the race.
In 1980, the dragon-boat regatta was listed into the state sports competition programs and has since been held every year. The award is called 'Qu Yuan Cup.' In June 1985, to promote the development of dragon-boat races in China and abroad, the Dragon-Boat Association of China was founded in Yichang, Hubei Province. Dragon-boat racing has now become an international aquatic sport, which features both Chinese tradition and modern sporting spirit.
