2013 Philadelphia International
Dragon Boat Festival
Cover Photo by Menglong Liang
Table of Contents Introduction
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Race 2013
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Festival 2013
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Qu Yuan Qu Yuan (343–278 BC) was a Chinese poet who lived during the Warring States period of ancient China. He is known for his contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the Chu Ci anthology (also known as
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The Songs of the South or Songs of Chu): a volume of poems attributed to or considered to be inspired by his verse writing. Together with the Shi Jing, the Chu Ci is one of the two great collections of ancient Chinese verse.
Introduction The 12th annual Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival finished its race day along the Schuylkill River on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013 with 140 boats registered and more than 2,800 participants. The Dragon boat race is rooted in China 2000 years ago, where it is in honor of Qu Yuan, a Chinese patriotic poet who was the advisor to the king in Chu Kingdom. Carol Lee Lindner founded the 500-meter dragon boat race in Philadelphia in 2002.
Lindner organized a dragon boat team that benefited breast-cancer patients in 1999. As the number of teams grew over the years, Lindner decided to bring the races to the masses. The Philadelphia event is a fund-raising one in the festival tradition. Last year, Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival raised more than $187,000 for Fox Chase Cancer Center. The photojournalism class in the Department of Journalism at Temple
University has been covering the dragon races on the Schuylkill River for the past five years. The river race course is the same used by collegiate and club rowers along Kelly Drive as it winds
through Fairmount Park. This year, 12 students in Dr. Edward Trayes’ photojournalism class produced a book for the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival 2013.
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Why Dragon? The boats at the race were all donned with the heads of dragons. Dragons are important and symbolic in the Chinese culture. A dragonhead is classically a combination of the head of an ox; a deer’s antlers; the man of a horse; the body and scales of a snake; the claws of an eagle and the tail of a fish. In China, they are thought to possess the strength and power to ride the clouds in the sky and command the wind, mist and rain. Photos by Philip Conine, Emily Ganser, Randi Fair, and Andrew Thayer
Race 2013 race 2013
Photo by Daniel Pelligrine
Dragon Boat in Philadelphia Dragon Boat Racing is one of the fastest-growing water sports in the world, today. The International Dragon Boat Federation was formed in response to the growth of the sport. The IDBF now has over 100 member organizations in more than 40 countries. A wide range of corporate, civic and community groups were sent to the Schuylkill River underneath the Strawberry Mansion Bridge, and each team sets up along the riverfront. Photo by Hua Zong
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Teams of about 20 entered the boats and raced to the finish line. 18 team members paddled; a drummer sat at the front of the boat on a wooden seat, assisting in setting the timing for the team by keying off the two paddlers at the front of the boat; and a steersperson — the captain of the dragon boat — stood at the back of the boat and steered the crew with a long oar. Photos by Philip Conine
The race day begins at 8:00 and finishes around 5:30 pm. The whole race has three heats, including qualifing heat, semi-finals, and finals. Photo by Philip Conine
Every year, the American flag is hung off the Strawberry Mansion Bridge, serving as a welcome to those who attend the race and paddlers who row past it. Photos by Randi Fair, Menglong Liang, and Alisa Miller 13
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Before the races took off, teams made sure to stay safe and stretch together to be able to race to the best of their abilities when the races began. Photos by Randi Fair, Menglong Liang, and Daniel Pelligrine 15
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Photo by Daniel Pelligrine
Photo by Alisa Miller
Photo by Alisa Miller 17
Photo by Mengalong Liang
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Ready! GO!!!
Photo by Mengalong Liang
Photo by Menglong Liang
Photo by Hua Zong
Photo by Meaghan Pogue
Photo by Philip Conine
Photo by Menglong Liang
Unison, teamwork and accountability were all represented on the boats. Those who sat at the front of the boats yelled directions to the paddlers as well as encouraging words to keep the paddlers’ spirits uplifted and their energy high. Photos by Kelsey Stanger and Andrew Thayer 26
Photo by Hua Zong
festival 2013 Picnic tents were set up along the river allowing for an atmosphere of fun, relaxation and tranquility, versus the tension from the races.
photo by Andrew Thayer
Photo by Hua Zong
Photo by Hua Zong
Photo by Daniel Pelligrine
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Photo by Meaghan Pogue
Photo by Randi Fair
Photo by Hua Zong
Photo by Daniel Pelligrine
Photo by Daniel Pelligrine
Photo by Hua Zong
Photo by Daniel Pelligrine
Photo by Daniel Pelligrine
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Racers were looked and cheered on by attendees both you and old. Some got as close to the water as they were allowed to get an up-close look of the strength and perseverance the paddlers portrayed. Others stood back chatting and holding signs to encourage the paddlers to quickly get to the finish line. Photos by Andrew Thayer
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Photo by Mengalong Liang
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Photo by Andrew Thayer
Photo by Andrew Thayer
Photo by Andrew Thayer
Photo by Daniel Pelligrine
Photo by Eric Sowin
Photo by Hua Zong
The festival was not only about the race. Teams and attendees played games, enjoyed food and paraded underneath the Strawberry Mansion Bridge.
Photos by Daniel Pelligrine, Andrew Thayer, and Philip Conine 42
Festival staff and vonlunteers were present during the entire racing day, annoucing the placement of the racers and assisting both racers and attendees alike. Photos by Daniel Pelligrine, Andrew Thayer, and Kelsey Stanger
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Dragons were not the only creatures spotted during the race. Canada geese were also found gliding across the Schuylkill as if it were just another Saturday for them. Photos by Hua Zong and Daniel Pelligrine
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Although Nerve-Wracking and filled with intensity, The 2013 Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Race ended in smiles, cheers and all-around appreciation of those who gave all that they could be the team in first place.
Philip Conine Randi Fair Emily Ganser Menglong liang Alisa Miller Daniel Pelligrine Meaghan Pogue Eric Sowin Kelsey Stranger Andrew Thayer Alexis Wright-whitley Hua Zong