Honouring Chu Yuan: The Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng in Cantonese, Tuen Yang in Mandarin) has been celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon (early June) for the past 21/2 millennia. Its exact origin is unknown, but legend notes that this festival commemorates the tragic death of the honest and learned minister of state, Chu Yuan, who died in 288 BC in the ancient Kingdom of Ch'u during the time of the Warring States (403-211 BC).

At the time, Chu was the true and dedicated power behind the throne; he was a wise man who advised the rule correctly for the good of his people. Other envious advisors, however, didn't appreciate Chu's influence, so they encouraged his disfavour with the king. Consequently, the king's joss failed him because he took bad advice (which resulted in his losing a war to his neighbour). To make matter worse, the old king was captured during the fighting.

To express his concern for the old ruler, Chu Yuan wrote a poem called Li Sao, the classical speech. (Because of the poem, the festival is sometimes called Poet's Day or Patriotic Poet's Day). This angered a new king who ordered Chu Yuan exile. But instead of leaving, Chu Yuan jumped into the Mi-Lo River, a river in the present Hunan Province. Today's dragon boat races symbolize the vain attempts of friends who raced to this spot to save unfortunate Chu.

Another tale has Chu Yuan despairing that his good counsel was being ignored. While wandering alone one day he composed Li Sao and then became so disgusted at the human world of intrigue and deceit that he committed suicide.

In mourning for their honest statesman, the people threw rice in the river to feed his ghost. One bright day Chu Yuan's ghost (or spirit) appeared to the people on the river bank and said: "You made offerings to me for which I am thankful, but the rice was all devoured by turtles and fish. I hope you will offer me rice again, but this time, please wrap it in bamboo tubes, close the openings with leaves and bind them with different coloured tread so that the turtles and fish will not dare to eat it."

Yet another version of this honourable Chu tale has him instructing that silk be used ( not bamboo) and that the silk rice packets be bound with fine threads, each of a different colour. Such rice packets are now the standard offering made during this festival.

A dragon boat is like a huge war canoe with a dragon's head carved at the bow and a dragon's tail at the stern. Depending on their size, they are manned by 20 and 80 paddlers accompanied by a drammer at mid-canoe who sets the timing of oar strokes with a huge drum.

There are half a dozen Hong Kong sites where these day-long races are held. These venues change occasionally, but Tai Po and Yaumatei usually host the biggest dragon boat events. Stanley Village is another popular site.(Check the newspapers, your hotel or call on the Hong Kong Tourist Association to find out the exact sites and times.)

"Lady dragon boaters": Various organization, both European and Chinese ( such as the police, firemen, army, embassies, bars, restaurants, clubs, Boy Scouts, welfare groups and even the local journalists' union) enter teams. Elimination heats are held and the final championship race is run by the three fastest boats. For the past 21/2 millennia it has been exclusively a man's sport, but in 1971 Hong Kong's first women's team entered these races, now, ladies; team are quite common.

Each race site is crowded with people who watch from the shore and from the decks of every conceivable type of boat. The course itself is usually surrounded by hundreds of junks of all sizes, each one covered with bunting indicating team affiliations. Pleasure boats, warships, police launches and ferries are also gathered nearbly.

A gunshot signals the start of a race and immediately an unbroken cadence of drums aboard the dragon boats and the clanging of cymbals aboard spectator junks (to ward off evil spirits) fills the harbour with noise.

This holiday has also developed over the years into another celebration - this one dedicated to the Goddess of Heaven (Tin Hau in Cantonese and Matsu in Mandarin).Though this goddess of fishermen and, by logical watery extension, also a patron of swimmers, lifeguards, sailors and, in the case of this holiday, dragon boaters.

A glutinous rice concoction, called ch'un tse in Cantonese or tsung tzu in Mandarin, is sold during this festival. In North China and Taiwan, the tsung tzu are triangular shaped, but in the south they are square.

About a week after local races, special International Dragon Boat Races are held in which teams from all over Asia, some from away as the United State complete.