Yueyang Dragon Boat Races

[Fu Lai]

I'm going this coming week. I made this little plan (copy and pasted from several sites) and I would like some feedback from those who have gone there before or just know about it.

 

Yueyang is the spiritual anchor of Hunan province. Since ancient times it has been reputed as the land of talented poets and scholars. On the bank of Miluo River, Yueyang city, you can pay homage to Quyuan, one of the most revered patriot poet living during Warring Period (over 2000 years ago), drowned himself here when his country fell. What can be more authentic than experience Dragon Boat Festival in its hometown?

Yueyang International Dragon Boat Festival
Place: South Lake in Yueyang, Hunan Province
Activities: Every year it attracts more than twenty dragon boat teams from as far a field as the United States, Canada, Australia and others who come to attend the competition. Other activities such as tasting delicious foods, making zongzi (pyramid-shaped glutinous rice wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves) competition, the tour to Donting Lake, Yueyang Pavilion and other local competitions and activities are also held.

The Miluo River, the place where the story about Qu Yuan (339BC-278 BC) drowning in the Miluo River' happened. Many historic sites lie alongside the Miluo River, which is located on the east side of Dongting Lake. The famous patriot Qu Yuan who lived during the Warring States Period is worthy of mention here as he finally plunged himself into the Miluo River. The Quyuan Tomb and Quzi Temple are top destinations among the cultural relics left in this area. Each year people along the Miluo River hold a grand Dragon Boat Race in memory of Qu Yuan during the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. Qu Yuan was born in about 340 BC in a noble family at Leping Village, Zigui County, Hubei Province. He was smart in management and had good memory. He became an important official when he was young. He changed politics and attached importance to the enforcement of laws, which were against by some of the nobles. Qu Yuan was expelled to southern China and arrived at Mi Luo, where he spent his last nine years of life. According to legend, his masterpiece “Li Sao”, “Jiu Ge” and some part of “Jiu Zhang” were written near Mi Luo River. On Chinese Lunar Calendar May 5th, Qu Yuan jumped into Mi Luo River with a stone. It is said that, after Qu Yuan jumped into the river, people along the rivers rowed boats rescue him. Gradually, it has become a tradition to have dragon boat competition to memorize great patriot Qu Yuan. The people of Chu who mourned the death of Qu threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. But one year, the spirit of Qu appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile in the river had stolen the rice. The spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river. Hence the making of zong zi.

The well-known Yueyang Pavilion is one of the three famous pavilions in South China. It is located above the city's Western Gate with Dongting Lake located in the west. Its architecture is very special because the whole building is made of wood and not brick or stone, with just four pillars to support the entire structure. Over the centuries, many famous people have left their mark here such as the famous politician and writer Fan Zhongyan (989-1052) who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).
---at the Railway Station, you can take bus no. 15 to get there.

China's second largest freshwater lake Dongting Lake is located southwest of downtown Yueyang. Its beauty lies in the width of the water surface. This is especially so at dusk when nocturnes are sung under the moon from fisherman boats, giving rise to a sense of romance and poetry! The Lake is sometimes known as 'the taker and sender of the Yangtze River'. The most famous scene in the lake is an island called Junshan. Junshan Island in the lake faces Yueyang Lou (Pavilion). Here visitors can discover many small pavilions, ancestral temples and a number of wells. There are ferries to take the passengers back and forth and the ride takes about an hour.