What do the colors of the dragon boat represent?

Boats are divided by color into red dragon, green dragon, yellow dragon, white dragon, black dragon and so on. The hull of the boat, the decorations such as umbrellas and flags on the boat, as well as the costumes and even the paddles of the rowers are all required to be of the same color.

Each township dragon boat, each with a fixed color flag, a township, there are several dragon boats, if the flag color to distinguish signs.

The southern suburb of Wenzhou Nantang River ancient customs, for example, some flags with blue, dragon head, tail and hull are blue, called the "Green Dragon", according to legend, the four directions are only the East Canglong seven hosts called the dragon, so green is the right color. This Nantang River, to XinCheng for the main river, so XinCheng DongTang temple of the dragon boat is particularly large, there are sixteen gears, the boat surface has forty-four people, called the big green, is considered a dragon lady.

Other dragon boat on the water, you must first go to the East Hall Temple pilgrimage, the Temple Secretary to be rewarded with colorful red, the big green out of the various dragons do not dare to race with it, the rest of the small ones are called the green dragon, the other yellow is called the yellow dragon.

Flag white, the boat's color is also white, commonly known as "white dragon".

If the flag is red, the boat is also dyed red, called the "red Niling" and so on. Because of the southern language red, is a water dragon, impatient, so changed the name, is the meaning of avoidance.

Dragon boat in the only no black dragon, commonly known as wulong is fierce, but also said that the north xuanwu is a turtle, climb slowly, can not fight life, so the whole wenzhou no black dragon boat. Two boat race, the water by the waves, two dragons fighting, competing for the championship, the township river, each line section, since a district, fighting dragons do not interfere with each other, so there is a big dragon ground, small dragon ground of the name.

Expanded Information:

According to the prehistoric cultures of the Hemudu and Tianloushan sites in Zhejiang Province, canoes and wooden paddles for racing were used as early as 5,000 to 7,000 years ago. According to the examination, in today's Shanghai County, Maqiao Commune, Yu Tang village of an ancient beach, found the cultural remains of the original inhabitants of Wu Yue ancestors. The fifth day of the fifth month of May is the day when the "dragon" tribes in the ancient Wu-Yue region held totem sacrifices.

The two main activities of the Dragon Boat Festival, eating zongzi and racing, are both related to dragons. The dumplings are often stolen by dragons when thrown into the water, while the dragon boats are used for the race. Race and the ancient wu yue local relationship is particularly deep, and wu yue people have broken hair tattoo "to like dragon" custom. In ancient times, the fifth day of May, there are "colorful silk tie arm" folk custom, which should be "like the Dragon" tattoo custom remains.

In the area of Wu Di, now known as Suzhou, it is believed that the dragon boat was rowed in honor of Wu Zixu. Because King Fu-chai of Wu mistakenly killed a loyal official and sunk Wu Zixu's body in a bag on May 5, the people of Wu paddled dragon boats on this day to honor the loyal official Wu Zixu.

And in some places in Zhejiang Province, it is said that the dragon boat is rowed in honor of Cao E, a famous filial daughter in ancient times. Legend has it that after Cao E's father fell into the river, Cao E cried and searched for him, and after searching along the river for seventeen days, she threw herself into the river on May 5 to honor her father. The custom of rowing dragon boats was created by local people in her honor.

In Zhejiang, there is even a saying that the dragon boat rowing is to commemorate the Lake Jianhu heroine Qiu Jin.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Dragon Boat

People's Daily Online - Dragon Boat Races Held in Various Places (Our Festivals - Dragon Boat Festival)

People's Daily Online - Dragon Boat: Drums, Drums and Waves Fly the Boat