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Qu Yuan (340-278
BC)Power, Influence, Politics, Intrigue, betrayal, are all elements that came to play in the creation of the Legend of Qu Yuan and the Dragon. Seldom in the history of politics does the actions and life of a leader capture and embody the beliefs of the people such as the life of Qu Yuan. To give perspective to the strength and magnitude of this one must think and compare the memory of Qu Yuan to other persons in our respective histories. Beyond the few that are remembered for the wrong they committed, and they are definitely not celebrated. Qu Yuan's memory has attained a level of remembrance reserved for a few religions leaders who lives have created followings through out the world. More than two thousand three hundred years have past into history, Kings and Queens, may remarkable and accomplish peoples lives have past and faded into time. But, not Qu Yuan's, he is recognized and celebrated in Festival events that have evolved around the legend of a tragic moment of despair in his life.
Qu Yuan was a poet, cultured scholar, a powerful and highly respected diplomat. His abilities and influence attained him the highest office in the State of Chu. Qu Yuan became a direct and respected adviser to King Huai of Chu. His position, influence and strength of character made him a target in the political arena. We must remember that Qu Yuan lived during one of the more turbulent period of China's history. The Warring States Period 475 bc. to 221 bc. (The name says it all) the states of Chu, Han, Qi, Qin, Wei, Yan and Zhao were all vying for position and control, each wishing to unite and subjugation the others. As a direct result of this there were many factions of power and influence with different an apposing agendas. It seems politics have changed little in two millennium as politicians then and now expend great effort and energies to undermined the credibility of their peers. Driven by both fear and hunger for power, two of the more influencial rivaling faction vied for position in the courts and the King's ear. Qu Yuan brought to bear his beliefs and influence to aid and facilitate an alliance with the state of Qi, His strong and unyielding determination to forward political reform, economic alliances and strength with the state of Qi won the favour and support of King Huai.
Unfortunately for both King and State the king was not immune to the efforts of the opposing political faction. Their position being threatened, they embark on a devious campaign to discredit Qu Yuan and further there position with the state of Qin. It is possible Qu Yuan was to busy implementing his polices, or felt secure enough in his position with the King that he reacted to late to the stories put forward by the pro Qin.
What we do know is that for what ever reason the King was swayed and removed Qu Yuan to a minor position. We can only imagine the turmoil in the courts caused by this change of direction.
History tells us The pro Qin faction used this time of uncertainty to undermine and destroy the alliances with the state of Qi. In time the King understood the depth of the deception he had succumb to by the pro Qin faction. He again change direction and made war with the state of Qin. In this he failed repeatedly consuming his resources and weakening the state. It is probable that he did not have the full backing of the courts due to the deep division in political views. In an effort to save face and himself the king sent for Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan again strove to establish ties with the alienated state of Qi. While Qu Yuan was visiting Qi we can be assured the pro Qin group was hard at work in the courts undermining his every endevour. In this, unbelievably they were once more successful. The King dismissed Qu Yuan again this time banishing him to a region north of the river Han.
King Huai's credibility must have been slipping not only in his own country but also in the states of Qi and Qin. How many time can you change sides before your position is of no consequents. This lack of direction enabled the Qin state to lure him to visit where surprise, surprise he was held prisoner until his death
three years later.
Though Qu Yuan had another brief moment of favour under the reign of King Qing Xiang, King Huai's son and era, it was short lived.
In 296 BC the king married a daughter of the King of Qin which would cause one to wonder if he was behind the Qin movement in a successful push to grab the throne. With the pro Qin faction in power it was not long before Qu Yuan was once again out of favour and banished this time to an area south of the Changjiang river
(Yangtze River) now Know as Hunan Province.
Qu Yuan though out of favour in the courts was not without influence. He turned his able mind to writing and in this, he excelled in poetry. Utilizing his political knowledge, understanding and love for his people and country, he wrote. This amazing man again reached a level of fame among the people and I am sure a begrudging respect from his peers and political enemies. In his poetry he continued to influence and give understanding to his beliefs and ideals. His heart and mind poured out in his work, expressing his deep grief and love for his country
in the allegorical "Li Sao" (lament). In this fashion he used his prose to expose and denouncing the corruption in the courts.
-(Another achievement his writing is recognized as unique, Qu Yuan's writing has style now know as the Sao Style.
And yet there is more 1953, on the 2230 anniversary of his death he was
awarded an International Peace Award recognizing his efforts. Now
think. How many people can you think of that are still receiving recognition for
their achievements 2230 years in the past )-
The struggles for power continued to rock the country. Ultimately Qin state prevailed and the Chu state fell under its power. In 278 B. C. the capital city of Chu was taken. This final event struck a overwhelming blow to Qu Yuan racked him in grief and emotional turmoil. It is said that Qu Yuan in his grief found a large rock, and with a firm hold on the rock threw himself into the Miluo River. It is also said that the River Dragon sharing his grief and loss for the country came and flew to a quiet place with him. There are many stories surrounding his death. Isn't that what legends are made of?
It is said that on hearing of Qu Yuan's actions the villagers rush to their boats in an attempt to save him. Racing out onto the river in search of him or his body. The fisherman slapped the water with their oars and banged on drums to scare the fish so they could retrieve his body. Other stories say they tossed rice cakes
or Zongzi (Zongzi is a kind of dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in
bamboo leaves) in the river for the fish to eat to give them time to find him.
As stories enhance stories the legend grew and evolved through the ages. Myth mixed with fact, Reality with fiction. The records of when all this came to together to cumulate into a recognized event are sketchy. Some would say that it was hundreds and hundreds of years later that the dragon boat festivals started. I would like to believe and propose that it would have been much sooner, the day it happened. The fastest way for news to travel from a fishing village is by boat, sleek fast refined dragon boats. Do we have a race yet? Have you ever seen news travel, particularly bad news?
Picture it, though the country was in turmoil, the people and armies would still need food, the fishing industry would continue as it had for eons prior to this event. By the very nature of man there would have been ongoing races with these sleek craft. Just in the rush to get to the best fishing spot, or friendly competitive spirit amongst both the young and old. After, before and during there would be ongoing banter to pass the time. What better topic than politics then and now, it hasn't change.
Qu Yuan a politician, a leader, a person who stood up and voiced his concern about the present government, a romantic poet what better subject to pass from lip to lip up and down the river?
Rivers were the main corridors of travel and communication. A fisherman's life evolves around his boat the shore and community. It appears to me 2300 years in the past we already had:
Ø Sleek boats,
Ø Powerful fit competitive men,
Ø Life and community events on the shore of a body of water.
Ø People taking there meals in sight of the water
Ø Family egging their favorite boats and teams to shore first.
Ø And what topic of conversation? politics of course, Qu Yuan's at the top of the list.
It sounds like the makings of a Festival to me.
Oh, and just like others throughout the world, the fisherman's life in China is dangerous and he likes to stack the odds in his favour. The spirit of the dragon is there on his boat to help and protect him
In the passing of time it has become tradition to commemorate this event though Dragon boat racing and Festivals. The official day is the 5th day of the 5th lunar month the day Qu Yuan died. But as we all know we cannot have enough Festivities and races on one day a year to accommodate all the eager participates. Dragon boat Festivals and races are now held most every weekend in different towns and cities throughout Canada and the world.
We must not forget the many hours of hard training that goes into creating a top team. Nor should this lessen the recognition given to all the other participates. For the majority of paddles the world championships is not the goal, it is the comradeship, the healthy exercise, team spirit and the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction one gets at the end of a good practice or race that is the draw.
The beauty of the Dragon Boat Festival Event also called
Duan Wu Jie in Chinese extends beyond the boundaries of competition and Festival. Dragon Boat racing has become an avenue for teams, organizers, volunteers and a most important component our sponsors to raise money and awareness for cancer research in particular breast cancer. We ask for, and thank you for your support and donations through you time, your participation and funding. Be generous, Again We and many Others Thank You.
Ramsay Drummond -Young April 5 2001
References
World Peace Congress
Seven years of Dragon Boating involvement
Dragon Boats a Celebration by Pat Barker ISBN 1-55192-079-4
The Mermaid's Muse the legend of the dragon boat by David Bouchard, paintings by Zhong-yang Huang ISBN 1-55192-248-7
The Songs of the South:An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poems by Qu Yuan & Other Poets Author: Qu Yuan translation by David Hawks ISBN 0140443754
The Legend of dragon boat Festival, English People daily News, web site Lovely selection of color prints
Qu Yuan [Chu Yuan] - The Great Poet Chinapage.com
Chu Yuan (Qu Yuan, 332-296 B.C.) The image used above came from this site
The boats originated with the fisherman, these long sleek craft were tools of the trade. Utilized not only for fishing but also as a standard mode of transportation. Their narrow design enabled them to move through the water with relative ease. This format of design can be seen as a logical adaptation to maximize the return from the paddlers efforts. In various fashions such as the North American Canoe we can see different cultures creating crafts with similar design feature.
The Dragon Boats ranged in length from under ten meters to over 30 meters. They were fashion mainly from teak wood. Unlike today where it seem nothing can be built unless you first create detailed plans and documentation, The craftsmen who fashioned the Dragon boats had the design concepts in their minds, creating boats to meet the needs of the time. This ongoing adaptation of design lead to the construction of many different sized crafts. The main design features remain in that they kept to the narrow width which was normally less than 1.2 meters but the length and weight of the boat would change dependent on the end use and purpose of the boat.
Unlike the North American canoes the Dragon boats though streamlined were of a very sturdy construction. Each boat dependent on the length, type of wood used and designed function could range in weight from just under 370 kilograms. to several tons. To maintain these boats in a seaworthy condition they would be kept in the water to keep the wood from drying out and crack on the seams. If any of you have had experience with an older wood boat you will remember that when it was first put in the water it often would leak like a sieve. After a few days of socking the wood expanse and behold you have a solid watertight craft.
Just like people of today the fishing villagers would often build dragon boats just for the festival races that were a little sleeker, faster and of course prettier that their ever day fishing boats. For us who are adjusted to the modern world of fiberglass and epoxies it would seem a very strange sight to watch these dragon boats being stored for the next race festival. To maintain the condition of the hull keeping the seams tight and to protect the wood from the sun, the villagers would either sink their boats with stones to store then on the bottom of the river or dig trenches in the mud at the edge of the river and bury them. This would ensure the craft would be kept tight and strong for the next festive season. Can you imagine how heavy and water logged these boats would get. The boats would be so saturated with water and minerals that they would often sink like a stone if capsized. Leaving the crew to swim for it. How they would get their boat back up to the surface and to shore must have been a struggle of endurance and determined effort even if they were not successful.
As the Festivals and boats evolved there has been a strong push to standardize the Dragon Boat design to maintain the shape and style of the crafts in a format that would be analogous throughout the world. This standardization ensures that the boat design and appearance will stand the test of time and enable paddlers from all nations of the world to train and compete from a similar platform. I believe this to be a good thing. As with any racing craft in today’s modern world of technology the hull design would change to be designed just for speed and have little in common with the traditional dragon boats of yester year beyond a token head and tail. Even inside the parameters that are being established the boats vary in weight and structure quit dramatically From wood to carbon fiber and epoxies, from about 200 kilograms to over 600 kilograms with a length of 12.5 meters.
The modern Dragon Boats of today are generally fabricated utilizing fiberglass for the hull and wood for the seats and trim. There are still boats being made in the traditional materials such as teak wood but they are heavy by today’s standards and require a lot more care and maintenance.
We would like to thank all the people who have helped Dragon boat clubs grow as both Cultural organizations and as an avenue to create community spirit and fun through Dragon Boat Racing. Your continued support both of your time and generous financial assistance though sponsorship of clubs and individual teams, Enabling the purchase of boats, life jackets and support equipment needed to run events. We look forward to and invite each of our corporate citizens to join in making this a truly magnificent evolving Cultural event in this our home, The cities of Hamilton and Burlington.
Author: Ramsay Drummond-Young
References
I would like to acknowledge the authors of numerous web pages and books I have read over the years, also fellow volunteer and participates for stories told.
International Dragon Boat Federation
European Dragon Boat Federation
"Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."