Dragon Boat Racing in Quanzhou
Folk culture activities at the Quan Zhou Dragon Boat Festival are equally full of variety, including a unique dragon boat race in Shage Village in the Quan Gang District.
Shage Village is a small fishing village in the northernmost part of Quan Zhou. Xiaocuo Port, regarded as “rarely being seen throughout the world,” is located here and is just separated from Xiuyu Port by the blue Meizhou Gulf. The dragon boat racing in Shage boasts a long history of about 600 years, since the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. In general, the dragon boat racing venue in Shage is open for all teams to train as of May 1. When May 5t or 6 arrives on the lunar calendar, the competition becomes official, and the dragon boat race in Shage is upgraded into a sports competition in Quangang District. Every town is required to form at least one team.
The Dragon Boat Festival is the most entertaining annual holiday in Shage Village. Apart from the dragon boat race, there is also the custom of setting up stage for the local opera (the Puxian Opera) from May 3 on the lunar calendar. It is also worth watching activities such as Sea Goddess Matsu’s visiting the village on the morning of May 5. These traditional activities are held despite any type of weather, as they have a lively atmosphere that surpasses even the Spring Festival.
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