Dragon boat race starts ChinaNow theme year

Chinese dragons, gongs, kites and boats are coming to the banks of the Huron River for the Dragon Boat Festival Sept. 30, in Gallup Park. The free community festival from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. is the official kick off of the LSA ChinaNow Theme Year, a multidimensional exploration of China's impact on the world.

A centuries-old tradition in China, dragon boat festivals are rooted in ancient water rites and a dramatic river rescue to save the great Chinese poet Qu Yuan, according to the Center for Chinese Studies, a co-sponsor of the LSA ChinaNow theme year. (Photo by Nicholas Rjabow)

Patricia Beals, academic outreach coordinator at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and boat captain, says her Plant Power team includes longtime staff members and student interns. They plan to decorate themselves using leaves and traditional Chinese face painting to build spirit, she says.

"We saw this as an opportunity to partner with the University and draw attention to issues like sustainability," Beals says. "It will also bring out a lot of people and how often can you say you were in a dragon boat race?"

A centuries-old tradition in China, dragon boat festivals are rooted in ancient water rites and a dramatic river rescue to save the great Chinese poet Qu Yuan, according to the Center for Chinese Studies, a co-sponsor of the theme year. The festival will include a drum and gong procession, lion dancing, performances by the student percussion group Groove, kite making using recycled materials, tai-chi, martial arts and Chinese food.

The dragon boat races feature canoe-shaped boats decorated like dragons with a fiery open-mouth head at the bow and a scaly tail at the stern. Throughout the day, teams of 20 paddlers from units across campus will compete in heats. Teams will include members from biomedical sciences, kinesiology, the Michigan Student Assembly, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, LSA, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Professional steerers from Toronto-based Great White North, the largest organizer of these races in North America, will guide the boats.

Co-sponsors, including the Center for Chinese Studies, Arts @ Michigan, Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, Asian Languages and Cultures, and the International Institute, are working with the City of Ann Arbor to make the festival a green event to increase awareness of natural resources, particularly water.

Carol Stepanchuk, outreach coordinator for Center for Chinese Studies, says the festival is a great way to bring the University and the community together.

"We wanted a splashy way to start the theme year and the dragon boat festival is one of the most popular festivals in China," Stepanchuk says. "We've got the Huron River in town and we wanted to promote a greater awareness of Chinese culture and tradition. It's a free, family-oriented, green event. It's perfect for Ann Arbor."

For more information on the China Now Theme Year and the Dragon Boat Festival go to www.lsa.umich.edu/chinanow.