By Amanda
The fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which typically falls in June on the Gregorian calendar, is the traditional season for celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival in China. Vancouver has hosted large-scale international dragon boat races since Expo 86, which coincided with the city’s centennial celebrations. In addition to competitive racing for adults, senior dragon boat teams have been part of the city’s celebrations for more than 20 years. Communities throughout East Vancouver also organize annual dragon boat events for older adults, where participants enjoy zongzi, traditional Chinese sticky rice dumplings that are closely associated with the festival.
Last year, I had the privilege of attending a Dragon Boat Festival celebration organized by The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. Before the races began, we watched traditional Chinese lotus dance and martial arts performances along the shore. Seeing the young performers’ impressive demonstrations of traditional Chinese martial arts brought back fond memories of my own experiences practicing martial arts in China many years ago.
Dragon boat racing traces its origins back thousands of years to ancient China. During a visit to a historical museum there, I was captivated by a massive replica of a 7,000-year-old stone carving depicting people energetically rowing dragon boats. The artifact, titled Feather Head People Rowing Dragon Boats because each rower wore a vertical feather on their head, left a lasting impression on me. Its vivid portrayal of people working together to navigate powerful waves beautifully captures the courage, perseverance, and teamwork that continue to define the spirit of the Dragon Boat Festival today.
We would like to thank Amanda for sharing her story and for her ongoing commitment to supporting women and children in the Downtown Eastside through her work with DEWC.