Dragon on the Water

孟庆春 孙佳慧

Generations ride the waves on dragon boats

龍舟竞渡，技艺流芳：关氏祖孙三代的手工龙舟

In Sanshui （三水）， a district of Foshan City in Guangdong Province， there lives a family with the surname Guan. The patriarch， Guan Qunsu， 65， is a second generation boat craftsman; his father， Guan Dui， used to work at the local shipyard but started his own factory after he retired. Guan Qunsu joined his father， and not long after， Guan Qunsus twin sons joined the family business， and they decided to name it “Guan Yongqiang Factory” after his youngest son. Together， the three generations have been running the family boat factory for more than 15 years.

Dragon boat racing is relatively popular in this area of China， so the demand for large boats is growing. Still， its hard work， and the profits are slim. Small dragon boats can hold about five people， but the large racing boats can hold 40 to 80 rowers. The larger the boat is， the more complicated the manufacturing process can be. The largest dragon boat the Guan family ever made was 46.9 meters and required 90 rowers. The Guan family business is a big name in local dragon boat circles， known for their careful workmanship.

With the convenient waterways in Guangdong Province， boats used to be a major form of transportation， and the dragon decoration was meant to show a noble heritage. The launching of a dragon boat involved tremendous care; there would be a worship ceremony， prayers at ancestral temples， and even the dragons themselves would be invited to attend. The modern customs are somewhat simpler—usually involving sacrifices （usually a chicken or pork）， incense burning， and sometimes the sacrifice of a rooster that has its blood then sprinkled from bow to stern in an earnest prayer for safety.

Today， most people think of dragon boat races only in conjunction with the Dragon Boat Festival， but in South China， the races are held on many occasions， such as Labor Day and National Day—often between different villages in a spirit neighborly competition.

Dragon boat culture is indelibly etched on some， a cultural staple， a pastime， and an art form. As Guan Qunsu puts it， “As long as I still have strength， I will carry on making dragon boats.”