Cape Town Dragon Boat Festival 2010

Experience this ancient, colourful, dramatic, oriental water-sport

Dragon Boat racing is a spectacular and exciting team sport that originated in China over 2400 years ago and was introduced to South Africa in 1992 when Cape Town received its first two beautiful wooden flag-catching dragon boats.

The Cape Town Dragon Boat Festival - held at the ever-so-trendy V&A Waterfront - attracts private and corporate teams of paddlers to battle it out on the water.

Dragon boating commemorates Chinese patriot and poet Qu Yuan, who threw himself into the Mi Lo River when the king refused his advice on reforms.

Qu Yuan's devoted followers rushed to the river and although they were unable to save him, they prevented the fish from devouring his body by splashing water and throwing rice wrapped in reed leaves.

Today the legend lives on and dragon boating is seen as the activity that honours the memory of Qu Yuan.

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