On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, on the Jinjiang River in Bijiang District, Tongren City, colorful dragon boats broke the waves, and the rowers worked together to move forward......
As one of the three traditional dragon boat towns in mainland China and the representative of dragon boats in southwest China, Tongren Bijiang District has been awarded the title of "Hometown of Chinese Traditional Dragon Boats" since January 2009. In 2011, the dragon boat race in Bijiang District of Tongren was included in the third batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects, and as of 2023, Tongren City has held 14 consecutive national dragon boat competitions.
Photo by reporter Shen Yikai
For Tongren Bijiang, dragon boat rowing is not only a sports event, but also a cultural event.
Every Dragon Boat Festival, Bijiang District will hold a grand dragon boat race, attracting visitors from all over the world with its unique dragon boat culture and exquisite production technology.
Photo by reporter Shen Yikai
"The production process of the dragon head and dragon tail is very particular, and it can be said that the dragon head and dragon tail are the soul of the dragon boat." Zhang Shaotang said.
In Xinzhuang Village, Hexi Street, Bijiang District, villager Zhang Shaotang is busy. I saw him skillfully scratch his hands on a piece of willow wood, and the sawdust flew with each precise blade. Zhang Shaotang is a well-known local dragon boat craftsman, and his ancestors were experts in making dragon boats. For Zhang Shaotang, each dragon boat is a medium for him to dialogue with his ancestors, and every carving is a transmission of tradition.
Provided by the Propaganda Department of Bijiang District Party Committee.
The dragon boat culture of Tongren Bijiang has formed a unique style in the evolution of hundreds of years. According to Zhang Shaotang, the first choice for making dragon boat faucets is ash because of its smooth wood, corrosion resistance, water resistance, and good decorative properties. Zhang Shaotang introduced that it takes about one week to complete a leading work, and every knife and hammer tests the skills of craftsmen. The demeanor of the dragon's head, whether fierce or benevolent, is expressed through delicate carving techniques. The Tongren Bijiang dragon boat is often made of local materials and built by itself. The size of the dragon boat varies, and the largest can carry more than 100 people.
Provided by the Propaganda Department of Bijiang District Party Committee.
According to the data, the dragon boat making process in Bijiang District has a long history, and its history can be traced back to at least the Ming Dynasty. The dragon boat in Tongren Bijiang is not only a tool for racing, but also a carrier of national culture.
It is understood that in 2009, Tongren Bijiang District won the title of "Hometown of Chinese Traditional Dragon Boats", and in 2011, Tongren Bijiang Dragon Boat Race was included in the third batch of national intangible cultural heritage list by the State Council. In 2012, five artists, Chen Yuanhua, Chen Xineng, Liu Yubao, Hu Tongyun and Zhang Shaotang, who were from Tongren, were included in the first batch of inheritors of intangible cultural heritage projects at the county level in Bijiang District, Tongren City.
Photo by reporter Shen Yikai
Tongren's dragon boat culture is not limited to competitions. In daily life, dragon boats are also an important part of the daily activities of the local people. Whenever the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated, the villagers will spontaneously organize a dragon boat team to conduct dragon boat races, which has become a traditional folk activity that the local people love and actively participate in during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Today, the Tongren dragon boat has become a concentrated embodiment of the diversity and depth of traditional Chinese culture in this land.
Photo by reporter Shen Yikai
Yang Hua, a citizen of Bijiang, is a Dong girl in her 20s. "We both men and women swim here, and we grew up near the water, rowing and fishing, and dragon boating has become a part of our lives." Yang Hua said.
"Our dragon boat team has members of Miao, Dong, Tujia, Han and other ethnic groups, and they have come together because of their common hobby - dragon boat." Yang Hua said that dragon boats have become a unique phenomenon in the process of ethnic integration here, and we and other local ethnic minority brothers have long recognized and celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional festival of Han culture.
"In Tongren, dragon boat rowing is not only a competitive sport, but also a folk activity. It embodies the power of Chinese culture and shows people's love for life and respect for tradition in a multi-ethnic community. Yang Hua said at the end of the interview.
Photo by reporter Shen Yikai
It is worth affirming that while developing dragon boat culture, Tongren City also pays attention to the ecological protection of the Jinjiang River, the mother river of the Bijiang River. With the implementation of the 2017 Regulations on the Protection of the Jinjiang River Basin of Tongren City, it marks the beginning of the comprehensive management of the Jinjiang River, which also ensures that the dragon boat racing activities on the Bijiang River can be carried out in a good ecological environment.
On May 12, on both sides of the Jinjiang River, a line of dragon boats passed through it, with the helmsman's order, the drum shook the sky, and the dragon boat broke out of the waves like an arrow from the string.
In Tongren, every dragon boat and every race is a tribute to tradition and an expectation for the future.
In Tongren, the sound of cheers, laughter, and splashes are intertwined with the "drumbeat" of the dragon boat, forming a moving picture.
In Tongren, dragon boat has long been more than just a sports activity, it carries a rich national culture, has become a perfect "cultural symbol" to show the harmony of ethnic integration, traditional craftsmanship and modern enthusiasm, and has become an important carrier for the people of Qiandong to vividly interpret and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
Reporter: Shen Yikai Editor: Luo Si Second Instance: Li Beibei Third Instance: Xiang Lihua General Duty: Wang Nengfang