WomenInCanoe.com
Title
Women In Canoe
Description
Dragon boat racing, which originated in Asia, is a rapidly developing world sport with the active involvement of almost 50 countries across five continents. Eastern European countries like Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and Hungary have recently taken to dragon boat racing. While the sport continues to grow throughout North America, South American countries have also begun to show interest.
Legend has it that more than 2,000 years ago, a well-loved poet and court minister, Qu Yuan, was banished from court by the emperor for advocating reform. Qu Yuan wandered the countryside in exile, writing poetry that reflected his concern for his country and his people. He ultimately threw himself into China's Mi Lo River in protest against government corruption.
Villagers raced out to the river to save him, but failed. To prevent his body from being eaten by fish, they beat drums and thrashed the water furiously with their paddles. When they were unable to find Qu Yuan's body, they threw rice dumplings, wrapped in bamboo leaves, into the river as a sacrifice to his spirit.
