Tangerang, IO – Participants row a dragon boat in the 2024 Dragon Boat Festival on the Cisadane River, Tangerang City, Banten (15/6). The typical Peranakan Chinese (Cina Benteng) cultural festival saw the participation of 10 teams with each boat carrying 23 rowers.
In this festival, most of the participants are residents who live around the Cisadane River and the Boen Tek Bio Tangerang Temple. Even under the scorching sun and fairly strong river current, the participants were still enthusiastic to reach the finish line.
The winner will get prize money and other awards from the committee. The tradition is held every year is a part of the Peh Cun celebration held every fifth day of the Chinese calendar to honor the death of an official during the Chu Dynasty (340 BC) named Qu Yuan.
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According to the chair of the committee, Herlinawati, one of the most interesting aspects of the Dragon Boat Festival is the history and legends behind it. At that time, when his country lost the war and fell into enemy hands, Qu Yuan felt very devastated and finally he decided to end his life by throwing himself into the Miluo River.
People tried hard to save him or just wanted to find his body. They boarded boats on the river by sounding drums and beating the water with paddles with the intention of scaring fish and evil spirits from touching Qu Yuan’s body.
(IO/Septo Kun Wijaya)