Dragon Boat Racing

Duan Wu Jie--the Dragon Boat Festival occurred on June 8, 2008 on the Christian calendar and on the 5th day of the 5th month on the lunar calendar traditionally used in China. It’s a national public holiday in China, but it is celebrated by people worldwide, Chinese and non-Chinese alike.

Based on my minimal experience, when dragon boat racing occurs on Duan Wu Jie in China, it is a combination of Thanksgiving, the Rose Bowl and parade, Easter, Halloween, and the birthday of great American poet Walt Whitman--if we put it in terms related to US culture. The festival is organized around elements tied to history, spirituality/ religion, myth and spirits, traditional sport and the associated pageantry, and a famous poet.

Outside of China it can mean any one, all, some, or none of these things depending on who's doing it. When I first saw dragon boat racing it impressed me as a complex team sport with specialized roles/positions I knew nothing about. And the decorative boats suggested cultural and ritualistic meanings I knew nothing of.

I've learned about it since, but the phenomenon of dragon boat racing is now global and tied in unique ways to local groups and communities that may have nothing to do with China.The teams are big enough to be or feel like social clubs, so there is comraderie, teamwork, and social experiences that reafirm memebers' identities as they may be grounded in ethnicity, nationality, sports interests and skills, neighborhood, work groups, and other attributes.

Why has dragon boat racing become highly visible and popular today? It's clearly connected with the emergence of China as a global power, a diverse nation, a massive and intriguing physical place, and a mix of cultures that bewilders most non-Chinese people.

Plus the Olympics now shines a bright light on China, and people worldwide are attracted by the diverse images and stories we see and hear in the media. People are learning that their stereotypes about China are superficial, inaccurate, or both.

Dragon boat racing in many U.S. cities appears to be a typical chamber of commerce event designed to highlight foods, fads, and fashions that superficially represent Asian cultures and Chinese culture in particular. But it also gives people with Asian/Chinese heritage an opportunity to consider their history and culture and put parts of it on display at a time when others are interested in learning more about it.

As a sociologist concerned about the connections between sports, society, and culture, I'd like to hear from others who know more about dragon boat racing than I do. For example, are the meanings and experiences assciated with it in China different from those in Memphis, Tennessee or Oslo, Norway? Do those meanings represent parts of Chinese traditions that have survived the emigration and resettlement of Chinese people, or do they represent the ideas of others who have never been to China and know little about its culture.
Jay Coakley
Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies