Montreal Dragon Boat Festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau draws global teams

Montreal Dragon Boat Festival

The Montreal Dragon Boat Festival is an international event featuring competitive races and cultural events.

The festival attracts over 50,000 spectators and 200 racing teams.

The festival consists of entertainment for all tastes: multicultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, crafts, drawing contests, games for children, and a host of other activities.

There is even the opportunity to discover various ethnic foods.

The Montreal Dragon Boat Festival races are held at the Olympic Basin. Teams from Montreal and around the world will compete in races of 820 and 1,640 feet.

Between competitions, it will be possible to attend dances and folk music groups of various cultures.

To get to the festival, just travel the metro to Jean Drapeau Park and walk to the Olympic pool just behind the Montreal Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Admission is free, you only pay for parking when arriving by car.

Normally, shuttles to the Olympic pool are also available at the corner of West and Gauchetire St. Urbain every 30 minutes between 10h and 18h.

The dragon racing boat is usually long, varying in length from 40 to 121 feet and consisting of 20 to 48 rowers per boat. Usually, the boat consists of teak wood and can weigh up to 1,300 pounds.

The dragon boat team of 20 paddlers sitting two abreast, one at the helm and one back. A drummer is placed at the bow of the boat and sets pace for the team.

The Origin of Dragon Boat Racing

This Montreal Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the fate of Qu Yuan, who lived from 340-278 BC. Qu Yuan was minister of the Kingdom of Chu during the spring and autumn period (770-476 BC.).

He was also a great poet. Under pressure from the powerful kingdom of Qin, he proposed to make the country prosper along with strengthening the military in an effort to resist the threat from Qin. However, his proposal met with strong opposition.

Therefore, Qu Yuan was removed from office and expelled from the capital by the emperor.

While in exile, he composed several poems illustrating his feelings concerning both the fate of the nation and its people: These poems consisted of Nostalgia (Li Sao), Query raised to Heaven (Tian wen) and Jiu Ge (Songs to sacrifice).

In 278 BC, the Qin army captured the capital of Chu. After learning of this news Yan Qu wrote his last poem, entitled Huai Sha (Regret Changsha) and committed suicide on five of the fifth lunar month by jumping into the river Miluo.

According to legend, after Qu Yuan is thrown into the river, the locals went in search of his body to give it a burial.

Having sought in vain, they threw “zongzi” into the river (glutinous rice cakes wrapped in a bamboo leaf). This act was an attempt to feed the fish, thus preventing them from devouring the body.

This story explains the origin regarding the custom of eating “zongzi” and having dragon boat races on that day.

Found hanging on the doors of houses are branches of fragrant herbs, wormwood, and reeds, all designed to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck.

During the party, mothers make for their children two perfume bags in which to hold medicinal and aromatic plants. The bags are threaded by silk and worn around the necks of children clinging to their clothing.

These graceful ornaments still operate to exorcise demons and dispel disease.

The Montreal Dragon Boat Festival offers many entertainment shows, drawing competitions for children, and a host of other activities.

Visit the festivals various booths and learn about a wide variety of crafts and ethnic foods. With over 200 teams from North America this weekend promises to be unforgettable!

For complete details of racing schedules, visit the event calendar.

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