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Victoria Dragon Boat Festival paddles ferociously into town
Victoria is home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown, so it’s only fitting that the Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival would be one of the summer’s biggest attractions.
From August 12 to 14, join thousands of fans around the Inner Harbour and watch 70 teams and hundreds of rowers, both amateur and professional, compete in the 17th Victoria Dragon Boat Festival.
According to an old Chinese legend, dragon boat festivals commemorate the exemplary life and tragic death of Qu Yuan, a 4th century BCE poet and statesman, who was exiled from his home province for promoting ethics and equality.
Banished, he devoted his time to his poetry until one day, he heard that his home province was under attack. Utterly devastated by the news, he threw himself into the Mi Lo River and took his life.
Local fishermen witnessed his dramatic act and rushed their boats over to save him. When they realized he had sunk below their reach, the fishermen quickly paddled away from the area, throwing rice dumplings into the river both to lure fish away from Qu Yuan’s body and as a sacrifice for the poet’s tragic end.
Now, hundreds of years later, dragon boat festivals honour Qu Yuan’s memory. In recent years, survival and perseverance have become increasingly important themes at the festival and have inspired a new tradition: the Breast Cancer Survivor race. Boats filled with breast cancer survivors race each other to show the strength of the human body and the power of an indefatigable spirit.
This emotional race takes place on Sunday, August 14, at noon and is followed by the ceremonial Pink Carnation Toss. It is not to be missed.
The BC Cancer Foundation is the beneficiary charity of the festival; therefore, festival proceeds are donated to cancer research and treatments.
The Dragon Boat Festival is about more than the races, however. It shines the spotlight on Chinese culture, which has played a large role in Victoria’s history, and it gives the Chinese population the chance to share its unique traditions, elaborate ceremonies, and delicious food with thousands of eager supporters!
The Festival kicks off with the Eye Dotting Ceremony at 1pm on Friday, August 12 at Ship Point. Watch as Taoist priests awaken the dragon by dabbing the eyes of the figurehead dragon on each boat with red paint.
Also at Ship Point, you can see the colourful display of paper lanterns, which are lit in honour of those affected by cancer. Lanterns are $3 each, proceeds of which will go to the BC Cancer Foundation, and can be purchased on site, at Fairway Market stores, Denny’s Restaurant, and the Bay Centre.
The festival will also feature a Paddlers’ Party Beer Garden, Kung Fu demonstrations, live music, a kids’ tent, free Ghostly Walking Tours (covered by A-Life earlier this summer); and Silk Road Tea’s truly unique Classical Chinese Tea Garden, complete with interactive demonstrations, seminars, and a Chinese Tea Ceremony—simply tea-lightful, if you ask me!
The Gate of Harmonious Interest on Fisgard St. in Chinatown
And don’t forget to make your way over to the famous red arches and past the carved dragons guarding the entrance to Chinatown. Chinatown has some fantastic restaurants, maze-like gift shops that seem to go on forever, and great photo opportunities with vibrant colours peeking through every which way—neon lights, colourful traditional Chinese garments, and paper lanterns and flags decorating storefronts and windows.
With all the fabulous cultural activities going on around town, try not to forget to watch the races—they are fun, fierce, and always exciting!
- Photos & text by Jessica Woollard©
