The 16th annual Montreal International Dragon Boat Race Festival takes place this weekend (July 22-24) at the Olympic Basin in Parc Jean-Drapeau on Ïle Sainte-Hélène.
Over 200 teams will gather from all over North America to compete in the popular water sport. Admission is free for spectators, although there is a $15 parking fee on adjacent Île Notre-Dame.
"Dragon Boat is an international water-sporting and cultural event that commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a beloved Chinese patriot and poet who in 278 B.C. committed suicide in the Miluo River, thus expressing his discontent against one emperor of the Zhou dynasty," explains the event’s official website.
"Out of sadness, the villagers paddled out in fishing boats to save his soul, beating gongs and drums to frighten away evil ghosts. Since that day, dragon boat festivals honor the great poet’s virtue and patriotism."
In the past 25 years, Dragon Boat racing has spread from China to much of the developed world, and is a popular team-building exercise because of the cooperation required to operate the 25-person boat.