Race of The Ancients

The annual Penang International Dragon Boat Festival is back!

To be held at the Teluk Bahang Dam, Penang on 28 and 29 May 2016, the 37th Penang International Dragon Boat Festival 2016 is organised by the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival Committee (PIDBF). This event is fully supported by the Penang State Government and is an affiliated festival of the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF).

Being the first region in the world to host a dragon boat race outside China, Penang has more than 30 years of experience in organising dragon boat races.The first official Penang Dragon Boat Race was held in 1956, and it has since become one of the biggest sea festivals that attracts thousands of international competitors from all over the world.

Dragon boat racing is thought to have carried a legendary tradition that stretches back to Southern China 2,600 years ago. Each boat bears the masthead of a serpent-like dragon that symbolises luck and prosperity while being significant enough to frighten away the evil spirits; the drummer in the front propels the boat with robust, reverberating and synchronic beats.

Dragon boat racing is indeed a team-focused sport that promotes discipline, teamwork and perseverance. A modern dragon boat is usually between 10m and 12m-long while the smaller boats measure only about 6.5m. The maximum number of racers in a team is 26. Most teams have 20 paddlers and it is a must to have a drummer in front and a steerer at the back. There are two main techniques of paddling – short strokes (more speed) and long strokes (more power).

Today, dragon boat is practised in more than 50 countries worldwide, including many parts of China in the spirit of its ancient origins.

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