Taiwan Today

Dragon boats race on Taiwan's rivers every summer as an expression of man's humanity to man. It is one of China's most expressive gestures of altruism. Ch'u Yuan was a statesman-poet of the Period of Spring and Autumn Annals nearly 2,300 years ago. He fell from royal favor and wrote an allegorical description of his search for an understanding ruler. Finally, in despair, he cast himself in the Milo River of present-day Hunan Province. People rushed out in their boats to save the body of a good man from the fishes. Today's Dragon Boat Festival is held on the 5th day of the 5th moon to commemorate the sacrifice of Ch'u Yuan and the quick response of the people.

Dragon boats represent companies and civic organizations, even families and friends. American and Korean crews joined in this year's fun. Male-manned dragon boats have 11 pairs of oarsmen compared with 7 for the women's boats. The boat is guided by an oarsman who stands in the back and uses his oar as a rudder as well as a paddle. The beat for the rowers is pounded out by a drummer who stands in the front of the boat facing aft. Snaking his way up the prow is the flag catcher, who reaches out to grab the floating pennant at the finish line. Major races are televised on the three Taiwan networks.

Heads of the dragons are covered with red cloth before the dragon-eye painting ceremony. Without the "dotting of the eye," the dragon boat could not find its way to the finish line of the 400-meter course. Hundreds of thousands watched the 1978 races at Taipei, Lukang and Kaohsiung. Another Dragon Day must is the eating of chungtzu. These glutinous rice dumplings are wrapped in bamboo leaves. The fish cannot get any offered to Ch'u Yuan's soul.