Dragon boat racing is the main custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. According to legend, it originated from the ancient Chu people who were reluctant to leave their virtuous minister Qu Yuan and threw himself into the river. Many people rowed boats to chase and save him. They scrambled to catch up and disappeared when they reached Dongting Lake. After that, dragon boat racing was held every May 5th to commemorate the event. He rowed dragon boats to disperse the fish in the river to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan's body. The custom of racing was popular in Wu, Yue and Chu.
In fact, "dragon boat racing" has been around since the Warring States Period. Carving a canoe into the shape of a dragon amidst the sound of drums and playing a boat racing game to entertain gods and people is a semi-religious and semi-entertaining program in the ritual.
Later, in addition to commemorating Qu Yuan, people in various places also attached different meanings to the dragon boat race.
Dragon boat racing in Jiangsu and Zhejiang also has the significance of commemorating Qiu Jin, a modern female democratic revolutionary born there. On the night dragon boat, lights are decorated, and people shuttle back and forth. The scenes on the water and under the water are moving and unique. The Miao people of Guizhou hold the "Dragon Boat Festival" from the 25th to the 28th of the fifth lunar month to celebrate the success of rice transplanting and wish for a good harvest. Compatriots of the Dai ethnic group in Yunnan compete in dragon boats during the Water Splashing Festival to commemorate the ancient hero Yan Hongwo. Different ethnic groups and different regions have different legends about dragon boat racing. To this day, in many areas in the south near rivers, lakes and seas, dragon boat races with their own characteristics are held every year during the Dragon Boat Festival.
In the 29th year of Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1736), dragon boat racing began in Taiwan. At that time, the prefect of Taiwan, Chiang Yuan-jun, hosted a friendly match at the Half-Moon Pool of Fahua Temple in Tainan City. Taiwan now holds a dragon boat race every May 5th. In Hong Kong, ferry races are also held.
In addition, dragon boat racing has also been introduced to neighboring countries such as Japan, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. In 1980, dragon boat racing was included in China's national sports competitions, and the "Qu Yuan Cup" dragon boat race is held every year. On June 16, 1991 (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month), the first International Dragon Boat Festival was held in Qu Yuan's second hometown, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, China. Before the race, a "Dragon Head Sacrifice" was held that not only preserved the traditional ceremony but also injected new modern elements. The "dragon head" is carried into the Quzi Temple. After the athletes "glamorize" (wear a red belt) the dragon head, the officiant reads the sacrificial text and "consecrates" (i.e. lights up) the dragon head. Then, all the participants in the dragon ceremony bowed three times, and the dragon's head was carried to the Miluo River and rushed to the dragon boat racing venue. More than 600,000 people participated in the competitions, trade fairs and gala events this time, which was an unprecedented event. Since then, Hunan has held the International Dragon Boat Festival regularly. Dragon boat racing will be popular all over the world.