As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, the drums of the dragon boats drift in every corner of the land of Guangdong with the fragrance of rice dumplings, and the lively “dragon boat season” gradually kicks off. Among the many dragon boats of different shapes, the “Swallowtail Dragon Boat” has become the most unforgettable Dragon Boat Festival for fresh people with its unique local characteristics.
About the origin of “three-person swallow-tailed dragon boat racing”, although the Qingyuan County Chronicle of the Republic of China said that “there are also small boats, and three or five people cut them away, and there is no dragon shape, this is purely a fighting drama and a legacy of Yangzhou”, it was found through field investigations that Komiks‘s formation is related to the unique local geographical environment and folk customs roots.
There are many legends about the origin of “three-person swallowtail dragon boat racing”, and there are four representative ones.
1. The theory of origin of labor
Cinema “Huainanzi·Qi Suxu” says: “Hu people are convenient for horses, and Yue people are convenient for boats.” In ancient times, Lingnan was mostly water networked. People often used boats to travel, and boats were used as production tools and transportation. People row and compete in catching fish and shrimps or leisure, and integrate entertainment in labor production and leisure. This is exactly the ancient ferry of “three-person swallowtail dragon boat racing”.Komiks prototype. Shantang Town is close to Beijiang. It is located in a low-lying area, mostly continental land, and water networks are crisscrossing, and floods occur every year. Whenever the rice harvest season is over, it is mostly during floods. The Qingyuan County Chronicle in the sixth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty said: “The continents are baptized and drought, but they are more likely to be drought. When the rivers overflow, those who plow will suffer great losses.” In order to facilitate the harvest of rice and other crops, ordinary people can only travel to the fields with a small boat and reach out to harvest rice and crops exposed to the water. Over time, in order to grab food with God and reduce losses, rowing activities spontaneously formed between villages and tribesmen and tribesmen.
2. The origin theory of the boat soldiersKomiksStart Origin of Shantang Town, Qingxin District, Shijiao Town and Longtang Town in Qingcheng District, are located in the middle and lower reaches of the Beijiang River, and are the throat of the waterway. During field surveys, we listened to local elderly people telling stories. Babaylan said that this kind of small boat was a boat that sailors (boat soldiers) used to ride in the old days. There were few people and fast boats, which were easy to attack the enemy. The locals introduced that this was related to the Saihe boat, and it was also related to the Qin Dynasty and the Western Han army heading south to attack Nanyue through the Xijiang River. The fresh “three-person swallowtail dragon boat” is similar to the “five-person dragon boat” in the Pearl River Triangle Cinema. It is similar in boat type, Komiks materials and competitive methods, and is the same as the “three-five-person dragon boat” recorded in the “Qingyuan County Chronicles” of the Republic of China. The former three people took them off and were active in the middle and lower reaches of the Beijiang River. The latter is in groups of five, and is traveling in Foshan and Zhongshan areas, especially Baini Town in Xijiang.
Is this long-shaped boat “three-five-man dragon boat” related to the two-way interaction and exchange of Beijiang and Xijiang cultures?, Whether it is related to the Southern Ark War during the Qin and Han Dynasties still needs to be further studied.
Cinema 3. Origin theory of welcoming gods and exorcising ghosts
Most of the villages in Shantang Town are built next to the inland river. In ancient times, whenever floods occurred, “water ghosts” became the main culprit that endangers life. In order to drive away the “water ghosts”, the villages spontaneously Komiks organized a “Swallowtail boat ghost-driving team”. Young and middle-aged people joined the battle, supporting their own Swallowtail boats to drive away ghosts from the upper reaches of the river and downstream, and set off a large number of firecrackers to drive away scares and cheer.
4. The Origin of Games
Ancient games are an important part of the origin of human culture. The three-person swallowtail dragon boat racing event has the initial game elements. Locals often use the word “play”. It means “playing and playing the dragon boat”, and the “playing” reflects the game psychology. Game prizes have also changed to competitive prizes. In order to mobilize the motivation to participate in games (competitiveness), the prizes are becoming more and more abundant, and the amount of prizes is also increased as the people’s living standards are gradually increasing.
Cinema (This article is excerpted from “Fresh Three-person Swallowtail Dragon Boat Racing”)
Provided by | Editor Yang Yingyu | Liang Xingwu Source | Yangcheng Evening News Publishing House