Conquer Asia

A very long and narrow human powered boat. Dragon boat is often used on the team paddling sport or dragon boat racing that originated in China.

In races, dragon boats are always rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails and they are required to carry a big drum aboard. The dragon boat race is usually held to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan. There are 20 paddlers who are facing toward the bow of the boat, one drummer or the caller at the bow which faces toward the paddlers and there is one steerer or tiller seated at the rear of the boat.

The drummers are considered as the heartbeat of the dragon boat and they lead the crew throughout a race with a certain rhythmic beating of a drum which indicates the timing and also the frequency of the paddling strokes. Paddlers sit facing forwards and they use a specific kind of paddle. The steerers are the ones who control the dragon boat with a steering oar.

dragon boat, china, culture