Erlong River Introduction
According to legend, the indigenous Klaman people of the Pingpu tribe used to live along the Erlong River, where the backyard of each household was directly connected to the river. Unfortunately, many children fell into the water and drowned, so the Klaman people would hold dragon boat races to drive away the spirits from the water. Later, even with the settlement of Han immigrants, this custom continued. During the Dragon Boat Festival, the elders would lead the worship to bless the boats, followed by the worship of the river god, and then the exciting boat races. Traditionally, the races take place in the afternoon with only two competing teams from Qi Wulan and Zhouzaiwei, where local villagers can take turns participating, but outsiders and women are not allowed to compete. The competition format is quite unique; only gongs are struck, and no drums are used, with racers standing while paddling. Winning or losing is determined by the spectators and team members themselves, and villagers often insist that their side is the true victor, leading to repeated races, often reaching ten or eight rounds, with no sign of stopping. This fierce competition is for the "Peace Flag," which is regarded as the most sacred and auspicious symbol among the villagers, showcasing the local spirit of "losing the person but not the team." Come to the Erlong River to cheer and celebrate during the Dragon Boat Festival! The Erlong Dragon Boat Race has now become a hallmark of Erlong Village, deeply uniting the hearts of the villagers. The "Erlong Dragon Boat Race," which has no starting official, no starting point, and no drumming, is a competition without judges. The race is held every year during the Dragon Boat Festival and has been passed down since the Jiaqing era. Its long history makes it one of the most locally entrenched dragon boat races, and it has been selected by the Tourism Bureau as one of the twelve major folk events in the country, representing a valuable cultural asset of Jiaoxi Township.
