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July 31, 2010 (Read more...)

The Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival

April 5, 2010
By Paul K.P. Wong

Albert Wong, the late chairman of the Alberta Dragon Boat Race Foundation from 1992 to 1999.

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is on May 5 in the lunar calendar, it is the most important summer holiday in China. This year, in the solar calendar, it will be held on June 16th, 2010.  

According to the ancient Chinese imperial calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival was held in the Fifth month (May), it is known as a popular seasonal disease outbreak period -- summer, which commonly known as "evil" in the old days. During this time, all acting in the aim of keeping with the principle of rest, otherwise, people will get sick easily.

Traditionally, the Dragon Boat Festival is in commemoration of Qu Yuan (屈原). Qu Yuan (340 - 278 BC) was a famous Chinese scholar, poet and minister to the King Huai (懷王) from the State of Chu (楚國) in southern China, during the Warring States Period (戰國時代). His works are mostly found in an anthology of poetry known as “Chu Ci” (楚辭).

Albert Wong Memorial Cup.

According to the legend, Qu Yuan jumped into the River Miluo (汨羅江), on that day was May 5 -- the Fifth day of the Fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar. It is also called Duanwu Festival (端午節).  So far, most people are familiar with the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate him, which is commonly known in English as the “Dragon Boat Festival” or “Double Fifth (May 5)”.  In the field of folk culture, the Chinese people to the Dragon Boat Festival Dragon with boat races and eating those glutinous rice tamales are linked with the poet. Since then, every year that day, it should be dragon boat racing, eating those glutinous rice tamales, drinking wine to commemorate Qu Yuan. Some areas in China, in the festival, people insert in the iris or wormwood on the door, which of course is to prevent the diseases or evils attack their families.

Traditional Dragon Boat’s Head and Flag.

Dragon Boat Race is still only one of Chinese traditional festivals, not an official sport. Until 1976, the first one held in Shau Kei Wan Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, which opened a dragon boat activity in modern, international, standardized sport. The nine fishermen race except the Hong Kong team, has a team has been participating from Nagasaki, Japan. Then the dragon boat races have brought to Japan, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and other countries by active participation. In 1985, Hong Kong held its first International Women's Championship, so this water sports extended to female athletes. For the further promotion of the program, the Dragon Boat Festival in 1991 wad held at the Yueyang City(岳陽市) in the province of Hunan(湖南省) -- a second home of Qu Yuan -- the first International Dragon Boat Festival Dragon Boat event in China.

2008 Dragon Boat Race in the Calgary Glenmore Reservoir.

The First Dragon Boat Festival in Calgary
The first Dragon Boat Festival was brought into Calgary by Albert Wong, an entrepreneur who emigrated from Hong Kong, and was the chairman of the Alberta Dragon Boat Race Foundation from 1992 to 1999. The organization was incorporated in Alberta in July 1992, helped to link up the first boat race held here in Glenmore Reservoir in 1992, which was in combination of the first Hong Kong Festival – a program to promote Hong Kong’s culture and business in Canada, which was held in October.  With the sponsorships by the Hong Kong Canada Business Association, the Calgary Canoe Club, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Husky Energy, Cathay Pacific Airways and HSBC Bank, the race was held successfully with multicultural entertainment in Calgary.  Today, it becomes one of the multicultural events in the city.

Recall the Dragon Boat Festivals of my childhood

March 19, 2010
By Paul K.P. Wong

According to the Chinese traditions and customs, the Dragon Boat Festival is one of the major occasions in the year.  This year's Dragon Boat Festival – the Fifth day of Fifth Month in Lunar calendar – to be on Wednesday, June 16th 2010 of Gregorian calendar.

Whenever the Dragon Boat Festival arrives, I recall my childhood of those Dragon Boat Festival days when my grandmother was still alive.

Recollect those years, when we were living on the peak of the mountain called as King's Park, Hung Hum district, Kowloon peninsula, Hong Kong.  There is my grandmother living together with us.  During that time, I was a five or six year old child.  Each Dragon Boat Festival came, grandmother always took me to the Tai Wan Shan’s beach to watch the Dragon boat race. I especially remember the local custom is to assert the traditional boat races; the organizers will invite the officials, successful businessmen and celebrities, to hold the dragon eye-dotting ceremony, but also hire some priests to the practice of the general public to pray for peace and safety, before start the races of the tournament. After the races, people would jump into the water to take a bath, it is known as "Wash the Dragon Boat Water", according to my grandmother, to wash the dragon boat water, that will avoid disaster, disease and evil, and will bring in good fortunes such as to keep wellness and safety for the whole year.

After watch the dragon boat races, we will back home and my grandmother will be ready those chicken, pork, beef, glutinous rice tamales and fruit, then she will worship in the outdoor incense to the Heavens, and pray to God for his blessing for the family with continue of peace and health. After the worship and prayer were finished, she will give those glutinous rice tamales and the fruit to the family to eat; as that chicken, pork and beef would be kept for dinner, and we will enjoy another plentiful and mouthful feast again in the festival!

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The Meaning of the Chinese character

By Paul K.P. Wong

The Chinese character “福” (pronounced “folk”) means "Good Fortune”, “Good Luck" and “Blessing” -- a gift is given from God, mother nature or Heaven.  

The composition of this Chinese character includes clothing, cultivated land, homes and healthy families".  

In Chinese culture, if we have all those things above, it means we are the fortunate people. In other words, no matter if we are Chinese or not, we, the people, do desire the prosperity.  

However, on the background of the picture, there should have ninety-nine different writings of the character, all together are a hundred different styles, it means one hundred or all kinds of good fortune/luck, and lots of blessing.