Traditional Chinese dragon boat racing becomes one of the most multi-cultural, spectacular water events in Australia

SYDNEY, Feb. 21 (People’s Daily Online) – The scene is Sydney’s Darling Harbor.

Taoist monks perform a blessing of the waters as red paint is dabbed across a dragon’s head in the lead-up to one of the largest racing events of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

DSA takes part in the dragon boat race during Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo/Mengyuan Chen)

The sound of drums and trumpets echo across the harbor as the oarsmen row from the shoreline with impressive vigor.

Some 1,250 paddlers are competing in the annual dragon boat races at the Sydney Lunar Festival, a celebration that has dominated much of February in a city where the Chinese New Year is a key fixture.

Dragon boat racing has become one of the most multi-cultural and spectacular water events in Australia, attracting large crowds for the two-day contest, which is now in its 25th year.

Dragon boat racing clubs come from far and wide to take part in the activities, including the Dragon Boats Sports Association (DSA) that was founded in 1983.

There are now 60 clubs throughout New South Wales and nearly 50 corporate teams in the Sydney area alone.

DSA President Felix Nguyen says the sport is unlike any other with paddlers dependent on each other every step of the way.

“Timing, teamwork and commitment to the boat are all essential elements for a successful dragon boat team,” Nguyen explains.

“The feeling of driving a two-tonne boat to a finish line at speeds of over 18 kilometers an hour is one to be experienced.”

DSA members train on early morning on Feb. 20, 2022. (Photo/Hanyue Li)

Nguyen knew little about dragon boat racing or its history before taking up the sport.

“I thought it was only a once-a-year event during the Lunar New Year,” she admits.

“But I’ve recently learned that it has been around for 2,000 years and was initially a ritual for the rain gods.”

“As a club we have a strong team spirit, which we believe has been the key to our success,” adds Nguyen.

Each member must trust and rely on each other and it’s partly because of that unity of purpose that DSA has attracted so many members.

Many of the paddlers come from different cultural backgrounds and have gone on to represent state and national teams.

Nguyen’s aim is to take DSA to the highest level of dragon boat racing and to achieve that the club is always welcoming new members.

A DSA member leads trainees to do warm up exercise. (Photo/Meijun Chen)

It requires a special dedication to get up in the early hours and in all weather conditions to attend training sessions.

Tianqing Yang and Yuxian Cao, who are both from northern Chinese cities, had to drive for 30 minutes in pouring rain on a Sunday morning for a trial.

They’d never tried the sport in China and were surprised to learn dragon boat racing was so popular in Australia.

“It was quite tiring to go through the whole process but it was interesting and we plan to participate again next time,” they said.

The last two years haven’t been easy for dragon boat racing, which like so many other sports has been restricted by COVID lockdowns and health regulations.

All competition was suspended for 12 months but a relaxation of the rules imposed by the New South Wales government allowed the dragon boats to make their return during this year’s Lunar Festival activities as held at Darling Harbour.

Dragon Boats NSW CEO Tony Henderson said it was exciting for the organization to be back in the water.

Tianqing Yang and Yuxian Cao (Photo/Hanyue Li)

“The Lunar New Year regatta is an important event in our season as it provides us with a great opportunity to promote and show off our dynamic and explosive sport to the public,” he explained.

“Dragon boating is more than just a sport – it is an inclusive and diverse community and one that encourages members to achieve something greater than they previously thought possible.”

It is a sentiment shared by Felix Nguyen and her fellow team member Matt Loon.

“It’s about teamwork, never giving up, getting better for each other and pushing past pain and the mental barrier,” Loon said.