Two Sports in Mainland China That Serve A Significance

Dragon Boat Racing can be considered a figurative remnant of ancient Chinese culture, as the sport has

been present in China for well over 2000 years old. Dragon Boat Racing holds much historical significance in Chinese culture, as seen in the Dragon Boat Festival, where the legend of poet Qu Yuan is honored. Qu Yuan became a martyr after opposing the Kingdom of Chu during corrupt times and he eventually threw himself in the Mi Lo River, which made him a hero in the eyes of many. At the time, it is said that river boaters raced to fetch his body before the fish could get to him, and they distracted the fish by beating drums and throwing rice dumplings in the water.

The festival is held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which was when Yuan took his own life, and

the race is believed to ward off evil spirits and to promote good fortune. Dragon boating is technically a

religious rite that was intended to “awaken the dragon”, a Taoist religious principle. The race involves teams of up to 20 in two side-by-side rows, which creates motion symmetry when you are spectating. Every person on the team has their own paddle and they all strive to move in unison to

create and optimize the amount of forward momentum. As the team rows together, there is an inward-facing drummer at the front of the canoe that beats a drum at the exact same time that the rowers hit the water with their paddles. There is also someone who stands at the back of the canoe and steers it with a large oar. This person can override any communications that take place in the boat as they are

responsible for the safety of the team. The entire operation creates an image of perfect teamwork through precise timing. Every person on the

canoe matters.

Dragon Boat racing might look like rowing but there are some differences that need to be discussed. Rowers sit in their boats in one straight line and utilize oars to move forward, dragon boat racers put themselves in two rows of 10 and move forward with paddles. Rowers face the opposite way when going forward, while dragon boat racers face forward.

Many Americans might know the next sport as ping-pong, but it is called table tennis everywhere else. Table Tennis is nicknamed ping-pong because of the sound the ball makes when it bounces back and forth.

The sport was created in England by David Foster in the late 19th century and after garnering massive popularity, table tennis was introduced to the Chinese in 1902 and in the same year, the Table Tennis Association was created. Table Tennis is played on a 9-by-5-foot table and players have to use a two-colored paddle that is usually made of wood. The paddle can be any size, shape, and weight. The first player to get 11 points wins the match and each player gets to serve after every 2 points. To start, the server holds the ball with their palms facing up and throws the ball in the air, then hits the ball in midair and bounces it on their side of the court first, then over the net and onto their

opponent's side.

If the server fails to complete this action, or if any one of the players cannot return the ball to the other side of the table, the opponent will receive a point. Players can also be gifted points for committing infractions. 

Even though the sport became popular in many different countries in the 1920s, China became a hotbed for table tennis champions in the 1950s when it was declared the national sport of China. It has stayed that way ever since, as the Chinese have put much effort into establishing themselves as the top dog in table tennis training and excellence. China has the most table tennis players in the world and many of them train intensively for extended periods of time. They also might start training children as early as 5-years old and have systems set in place to make assessments of their future within the sport. Ever since Table Tennis became an olympic Olympic sport in 1988, China has won the majority (32 out of 37) of the gold medals.