The Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) is held on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. The festival memorializes the Chinese poet Qu Yuan (c. 340 BC-278 BC) of the Warring States Period. He committed suicide by drowning himself in a river because he was disgusted by the corruption of the Chu government. The local people, knowing him to be a good man, decided to throw zhongzi (粽子), glutinous rice wrapped in corn leaves into the river to feed the fish so they would not eat Qu Yuan's body. They also sat on long, narrow paddle boats called dragon boats, and tried to scare the fish away by the thundering sound of drums aboard the boat and the fierce looking carved dragon head on the boat's prow. Today, people still follow the tradition by eating zhongzi and participating in dragon boat races in honor of Qu Yuan's spirit. In Taipei, dragon boat races take place at Dajia Riverside Park (大佳河濱公園). This years festival featured 125 dragon boat teams of all ages from all over the world. Safety and rescue services were provided by the Taipei Fire Department, the police and the Taiwan Red Cross. All did a great job. Bouyancy vests were mandatory, with teams penalised 5 seconds for the failure of any crew member to wear a vest when in the boat. Before a race could take place, teams had to check their scheduled times and move to the registration area. Check-in procedures complete, there was time for some last minute exercise and pep-talks. Participants made their way to the boats and climbed aboard. Once set, the boats moved over to the start line and waited for the flag to drop. Racing. The goal is to be first to grab the flag at the other end of the course. Boats then return to the river bank, acknowledging the judges, timekeepers, media and spectators. While the racing boats return, the flags must be recovered from the water and put back into place, which was done by a few hardworking men in a much less elaborate boat. Back on dry land, there's time for a refreshing wash. Time to check the results. Time to meet the fans. Or time to take a nap. The sides of the river were full of photographers. Supporters. Contestants. And a large number of interested spectators. Wishing you a Happy Dragon Boat Festival, 2007.

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