Dragon Boat Racing

Last week we had a few days off to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival, known in China as Duanwu Festival.

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Boat_Festival), Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month...this year it fell on June 12th.  The festival occurs when the sun is considered to be at its strongest around the time of summer solstice when the daylight in the northern hemisphere is the longest.  The sun, like the Chinese dragon traditionally represents masculine energy, whereas the moon, like the phoenix, traditionally represents feminine energy.  The masculine image of the dragon is thus naturally associated with Duanwu.  The focus of the celebrations includes eating rice dumplings zongzi, drinking realgar wine xionghuangjiu, and racing dragon boats.

So, we headed to Qingpu with some footy friends and their UN-like building (seriously, there were a couple of American couples, a Brazilian couple, a German couple, a Canadian couple, and some Chinese).

The place we went to race was about an hour on a bus west out of the city.

We went into the day the only way we know how to go to sporting events...ready to tailgate!

Tailgating American-style...they sell PBR at the
local Chinese grocery!

The manmade water lane that we were racing in....some less than clean
water...

Viewing Stadium.

Our UN delegates!  Our boat name was "Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies"

Pre-race...I don't know why we're wearing headbands...
everyone was.

Literally, dragon boats!

Our boat.

This is NOT us winning...it's someone else.  I think we came in 6th out of 7 boats.

Erin getting us a post-race bevo.

Kris representing us in a beer drinking competition.  He lost by a hair...
we're still reviewing the tape, as we're pretty sure he won.

We drank, we ate, we raced dragon boats...what a better way to spend a Wednesday!

And, afterwards, we went to our favorite dumpling house - not the traditional zongzi, but dumplings nonetheless!

Our favorite dumpling house - not a pic from this trip, but one of the many
we've made!

mmmmm....dumplings....