Paddling the dragon: Celebrating Shanghai's Dragon Boat Festival

The air’s getting steamier as the waft of zongzi -- bamboo-leaf rice dumplings prepared for Dragon Boat Festival -- fills the air and the drum roars grow louder, rippling in the wake of the almighty dragons; the dragon boats, that is. 

The Dragon Boat Festival (端午节), one of the most anticipated events of the year not only in China but throughout the world, is now just days away. Returning each year like clockwork on the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month (that’s June 16 this year for you Gregorian folks), thousands of dragon boats worldwide will soon be hitting the waters in honor of the great patriot poet Qu Yuan, who, the story goes, committed suicide when his kingdom’s royal court was conquered. Locals threw food into the water to distract the fish from his body (the origin of zongzi) and boated out to retrieve him (the origin of the dragon boat race). Although there are a number of alternative stories, this legend remains the most popular. 

What’s not legend though is 35-year old Shanghai resident, Axel Kubitz, captain of the Shanghai Shanglong Dragon Boat Club. An urban designer by day and dragon boater by weekend, Kubitz gives us an inside -- and more international -- look at this timely tradition.

CNNGo: How did you end up in Shanghai?

I was previously living and working in Berlin, Germany as an urban planner but as with many folks, I found myself looking to China for a new opportunity. I arrived with only one suitcase and my own paddle.

CNNGo: Your own paddle?

I had paddled for six years in Germany with the Berlin Dragonboat Company, the oldest dragon boat club in Berlin. I was on the men’s team called the Wann-sea Dragons (Wannsee is a lake in Berlin).

CNNGo: How did dragon boating get to Berlin?

We’re not your typical traditional team as 99 percent of us are foreigners from all over Asia and the world, and for that, we’re often referred to as the ‘United Nations’ team.— Axel Kubitz, captain, Shanghai Shanglong Dragon Boat Club

In 1988, the Hamburg Harbor Festival, a popular annual event in northern Germany, hosted two dragon boat teams from Taiwan. It was such a hit with the locals that after this event, the team left two of the boats to Hamburg for students to practice and train. Eventually, one of the boats was moved to Berlin and that’s how my club was started. We were more of a professional team, practicing up to three times a week.

CNNGo: What were your first impressions when finally landing in traditional dragon boat territory?

Like many newcomers, I came completely alone and was keen to meet people, particularly those with similar interests.

When I arrived, I’d expected to find dragon boat clubs everywhere -- that was definitely not the case. Finally, I did some searches online and that’s how I came across the Shanglong Dragon Boat Club. I’ve been with them ever since.

CNNGo: Tell us about the make up of the Shanglong Dragon Boat Club.

The club was founded about 10 years ago. We’re not your typical traditional team as 99 percent of us are foreigners from all over Asia and the world, and for that, we’re often referred to as the ‘United Nations’ team. Since the club began, we’ve represented a total of 19 nationalities.

Of course, this changes every year, but such is life overseas. We have all kinds of people from all walks of life, and for that reason we keep fees affordable for everyone. Our weekly practice fee is only RMB 50. 

CNNGo: Are you a professional dragon boat team?

Not at all, but that’s totally by choice -- it’s what makes us who we are. We do it for fun to get out of the city and escape, if just for a morning.

We do have regular players (some professional) but it takes much more time and commitment to make a professional team and with our own job commitments and people constantly coming and going, it’s just not feasible.

CNNGo: Can anyone join in?

Absolutely. From the beginning, our club has always allowed people in at any level, including total beginners. We never forget the main reason why we’re getting together, of course paddling, but it’s all about socializing too.

Once a month, we try to get together for happy hour and get-togethers and at the beginning and end of each season we hold free, open practices with a barbecue.

CNNGo: So do you compete?

Sure, we still compete but not as intensively as professional teams. The main racing period runs in May and June -- near Dragon Boat Festival time -- but we try to do an average of five or six races year. Since the majority of us have day jobs, we have to choose races on the weekend.

CNNGo: What are your duties as captain?

To lead the boat, of course! But there’s much more to it. For instance, I help organize the club’s practices and events along with a six-person committee of volunteers.

I also help out the newcomers or beginners at each practice, showing them or helping them to improve their paddling technique. We intentionally mix experienced with inexperienced folks together for that very reason.