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Barco dragón

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El bote dragón es una embarcación impulsada por fuerza humana originaria de la región del delta del río Perla, en la provincia de Guangdong, al sur de China . Originalmente se construían con teca , aunque en otras partes de China se utilizan diferentes tipos de madera. Pertenece a una familia de botes largos tradicionales a remo que se encuentran en toda Asia , África , las islas del Pacífico y Puerto Rico . El deporte de las carreras de botes dragón tiene sus raíces en un antiguo ritual popular de aldeanos que competían entre sí, con una antigüedad de 2000 años en el sur de China, e incluso más atrás, en los juegos originales de Olimpia en la antigua Grecia . Tanto las carreras de botes dragón como la antigua Olimpiada incluían aspectos de observancias religiosas y celebraciones comunitarias, además de las competiciones.

Las carreras de botes dragón son una actividad tradicional china de remo con más de 2000 años de historia, y se convirtieron en un deporte internacional moderno en Hong Kong en 1976. Estos botes suelen estar hechos de fibra de carbono , fibra de vidrio y otros materiales ligeros. Para las competiciones , los botes dragón se adornan con cabezas y colas de dragón chinas decorativas . En otros momentos (como durante los entrenamientos), se suele retirar la decoración, aunque el tambor a menudo permanece a bordo para que los percusionistas practiquen. En las carreras, un bote estándar tiene capacidad para entre 18 y 20 personas, y uno pequeño para entre 8 y 10, sin incluir al timonel ni al percusionista.

En diciembre de 2007, el gobierno central de la República Popular China añadió el Festival del Bote del Dragón , junto con los festivales de Qingming y del Medio Otoño , al calendario de días festivos nacionales.

Diseño y construcción

La Federación Internacional de Barcos Dragón define un barco dragón, dentro de las normas de competición, como: "una embarcación de gran desplazamiento y diseño abierto, basada en una construcción de casco de tipo quilla plana sin costillas, con las siguientes características distintivas: sin proa , sentina de arista viva ; sección transversal en forma de W, francobordo mínimo , entrada y salida tipo barcaza ; quilla abombada retrasada con respecto a las dos tablas de la borda y escota curva con extremos elevados". [ 1 ]

Las embarcaciones dragón varían en tamaño: las de tamaño mediano pueden medir alrededor de 38 pies (11,5 metros), mientras que las más grandes pueden medir hasta 90 pies (27,4 metros) de largo. [ 2 ] El ancho y la profundidad de la embarcación también varían, dependiendo de factores como su longitud y propósito, así como del número de tripulantes. [ 1 ] Algunos constructores de embarcaciones dragón también pueden modificar el ancho de las embarcaciones según la experiencia de sus remeros, construyendo embarcaciones más estrechas para los remeros más experimentados. [ 3 ]

El material utilizado para construir el cuerpo principal de un bote dragón es diverso y ha variado a lo largo de los años. Antes de 1911, se utilizaba madera de Ge, importada de países como Myanmar , Tailandia y Vietnam . [ 4 ] Desde 1911 hasta finales de la década de 1990, los botes dragón se construían con madera de pino importada de Estados Unidos . [ 4 ] Desde el año 2000, se utiliza madera de cedro de la provincia de Guizhou , en China. [ 4 ] Hoy en día, los materiales estándar utilizados para construir el casco de estos botes dragón suelen ser madera de teca o fibra de vidrio. [ 4 ] [ 5 ]

La madera de teca es considerablemente apta para manejar la humedad. [ 2 ] Durante la mayor parte del año, los botes dragón se almacenan fuera del agua, en tierra firme, donde tienden a encogerse ligeramente al secarse. [ 2 ] Cuando se reintroducen en el mar, la teca permite que sus juntas se expandan, lo que permite que el bote cierre cualquier hueco y se fortalezca aún más. [ 2 ] En algún momento de la década de 1990, China comenzó su defensa de la protección de sus bosques, lo que provocó una escasez de grandes recursos de madera. [ 5 ] A raíz de esto, China comenzó a ver un aumento en los botes dragón de fibra de vidrio, que a menudo eran más ligeros y rápidos. [ 5 ] Con el tiempo, los botes dragón hechos de fibra de vidrio superaron a los hechos de madera, convirtiéndose en una opción popular y el estándar nacional para botes dragón en China. [ 5 ] Como resultado, si bien las palas de madera y los botes de madera de teca todavía se usan de vez en cuando, los atletas de botes dragón a menudo entrenan regularmente en botes de fibra de vidrio, con palas hechas de fibra de carbono. [ 5 ]

La cabeza y la cola de un dragón suelen estar hechas de madera de alcanfor . [ 4 ] El diseño de las cabezas de dragón varía según su ubicación, ya que cada región tiene sus propias características y colores específicos que le dedican. [ 3 ] La cabeza y la cola a menudo se tallan a mano, probablemente con cincel y martillo, antes de ser pintadas a mano. [ 3 ] [ 2 ] [ 5 ] Estas cabezas suelen tener un par de ojos saltones, dos fosas nasales enormes, un hocico largo, una lengua fuera, 'plumas' o 'pelos' que parecen congelados en un movimiento ondulatorio, y mandíbulas feroces con afilados dientes blancos. [ 6 ] La cabeza conduce al cuerpo largo, elegante y bajo del bote dragón que representa el lomo del dragón. [ 6 ] Esta parte también tiene un vientre en forma de W que proporciona succión al agua y ayuda a estabilizar el bote. [ 2 ] En su popa hay una cola rizada con escamas minuciosamente talladas. [ 6 ]

Muchos consideran que la construcción de estos barcos dragón es una combinación de diversas formas de arte, incluyendo carpintería , talla de madera , pintura al óleo y teoría de la arquitectura naval. [ 6 ] También implican una considerable división del trabajo, donde varios artesanos trabajan en diferentes partes del barco. Por ejemplo, los fabricantes de muebles de madera se encargarían de tallar la cabeza y la cola del dragón, mientras que los constructores navales trabajarían en el cuerpo del dragón. [ 2 ]

Historia

La embarcación dragón más larga del mundo ( Kambojika Putta Khemara Tarei ) se exhibe junto al Palacio Real en Phnom Penh , Camboya.

De forma similar al uso de canoas con balancín o va'a polinesias , las carreras de botes dragón tienen una rica historia de antiguas tradiciones ceremoniales, rituales y religiosas, por lo que el aspecto competitivo moderno es solo una pequeña parte de esta compleja cultura de botes dragón. Se cree que el uso de botes dragón para carreras y ceremonias de dragones se originó en el centro-sur de China hace más de 2500 años, en el lago Dongting y a lo largo de las orillas del Chang Jiang (ahora llamado Yangtsé ) durante la misma época en que se establecían los juegos de la antigua Grecia en Olimpia . [ 7 ] Las carreras de botes dragón se han practicado continuamente desde entonces como base para rituales acuáticos anuales y celebraciones festivas, y para la veneración tradicional de la deidad china del agua, el dragón . La celebración era una parte importante de la antigua sociedad agrícola china, que celebraba la siembra de arroz de verano. Históricamente, las carreras de botes dragón se ubicaron en el "granero de arroz" del centro-sur del subcontinente chino; donde había arrozales, también había botes dragón.

De los doce animales que componen el zodíaco chino tradicional , solo el Dragón es una criatura mítica. Todos los demás son animales reales, aunque los doce eran bien conocidos por los miembros de las antiguas comunidades agrícolas chinas. Tradicionalmente, se creía que los dragones eran los gobernantes del agua en la tierra: ríos, lagos y mares; también se pensaba que dominaban las aguas del cielo: nubes, niebla y lluvia. En la tradición china existen dragones de tierra, dragones de montaña y dragones celestiales (Tian Long). Los dragones y serpientes míticas también se encuentran ampliamente en muchas culturas alrededor del mundo.

Pintura de la dinastía Tang que representa una carrera de botes dragón, atribuida a Li Zhaodao (675-758).

Traditional dragon boat racing, in China, coincides with the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month (varying from late May to June on the modern Gregorian Calendar). The summer solstice occurs around 21 June and is the reason why Chinese refer to their festival as "Duan Wu" or "Duen Ng". Both the sun and the dragon are considered to be male (the moon and the mythical phoenix, however, are considered to be female). The sun and the dragon are thought to be most potent during this time of the year, which provides a cause for observing this through ritual celebrations such as dragon boat racing. It is also the time of year when rice seedlings must be transplanted in rice paddy fields to allow for wet rice cultivation. Wu or Ng refers to the sun at its highest position in the sky during the day, the meridian of 'high noon'. Duan or Duen refers to upright or directly overhead. Thus, Duan Wu is an ancient reference to the maximum position of the sun in the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year or the summer solstice.

Venerating the dragon deity was meant to avert misfortune and calamity and to encourage rainfall, which is needed for the fertility of the crops and thus, the prosperity of an agrarian way of life. Celestial dragons were considered the controllers of rain, monsoons, winds, and clouds. The Emperor was "The Dragon" or the "Son of Heaven", and Chinese people sometimes refer to themselves as "dragons" because of its spirit of strength and vitality. Unlike dragons in European mythology, which are typically considered to be evil and demonic, Asian dragons are regarded as wholesome and benevolent, and thus worthy of veneration, not slaying. If rainfall is insufficient, however, drought and famine can result. Veneration of dragons in China seems to be associated with annual rituals to ensure life-giving water and bountiful rice harvests in south-central China.

Another ritual called Awakening of the Dragon involves a Taoist priest dotting the bulging eyes of the carved dragon head attached to the boat. Doing so symbolizes the dragon ending its slumber and reenergizing its spirit, or ch'i. In modern dragon boat festivals, a representative can be invited to step forward to dot the eyes on a dragon boat head with a brush dipped in red paint.

Dragon boats used in "Naha Hari/Hare" race (Ryukyu Islands)

Not understanding the significance of Duanwu, 19th-century European observers of the racing ritual referred to the associated spectacle as a "dragon boat festival". This is the term that has become known in the West. Dragon boat racing, like Duanwu, is observed and celebrated in many areas of east Asia with a significant population of ethnic Chinese such as Singapore, Malaysia, and the Riau Islands, as well as having been adopted by the Ryukyu Islands since ancient times. The date on which races were held is referred to as the "double fifth", since Duanwu is reckoned as the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which often falls in the Gregorian calendar month of June and occasionally in May or July. Duanwu is reckoned annually in accordance with the traditional calendar system of China, which is a combination of solar and lunar cycles, unlike the solar-based Gregorian calendar system.

Bas relief scene from Bayon temple depicting a naval battle using dragon boats between the Khmer Empire and Champa.

The Khmer Empire used dragon boats in their naval battles. Today, Cambodia honors the use of dragon boats by the Khmer Empire's navy by hosting dragon boat competitions at the Bon Om Touk water festival.[8]Laos which emerged from the Khmer Empire organizes a similar dragon boat festival on the Mekong River called Boun Suang Huea. The world's longest dragon boat is located in Cambodia and known as the Kambojika Putta Khemara Tarei.

Crew

Dragon boats with a tower and crew (14th c.)
Dragon boat crews (14th c.)

The crew of a standard dragon boat typically consists of 22 team members: 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the boat, 1 drummer or caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers, and 1 steerer standing at the rear of the boat.[9] Dragon boats, however, do vary in length and the crew size changes accordingly, from small dragon boats with only 10 paddlers up to traditional boats which have upwards of 50 paddlers, plus drummer(s) and steerer.

Drummer

The pulsation of the drum beats produced by the drummer may be considered the "heartbeat" of the dragon boat. The drummer leads the paddlers throughout a race using the rhythmic drum beat to indicate the frequency and synchronization of all the paddlers' strokes (that is, the cadence, picking up or accelerating the pace, slowing the rate, etc.). The drummer may issue commands to the crew through a combination of hand signals and voice calls, and also generally exhorts the crew to perform at their peak. A drummer is typically mandatory during racing events, but if he or she is not present during training, it is typical for the sweep to direct the crew during a race. The drummer's role is both tactical and ceremonial. In official competitions, such as world championships, drummers must physically beat the drum, else the team may be issued a penalty. In other events or practices, the drummer of an experienced team may not hit the drum, as the team can paddle naturally together, without a drum beat.

Good drummers should be able to synchronize their drumming with the strokes of the leading pair of paddlers, rather than the other way around.

Paddlers

Pairs of paddlers sit facing forward in the boat, and use a specific type of paddle which, unlike equipment used in rowing, is not rigged to the boat in any way. The paddlers face the direction of boat-movement; dragon boaters thus "paddle," like a canoe, while rowers "row", travelling opposite the way they face as in Olympic sculling.

The paddle now accepted by the International Dragon Boat Organization has a standardized, fixed blade surface area and distinctive shape derived from the paddle shapes characteristic of that used by inhabitants of the Pearl River delta region of Guangdong Province, China adjacent to Hong Kong. The IDBF[10] Paddle Specification 202a (PS202a)[11] has straight flared edges and circular arced shoulders, based geometrically on an equilateral triangle positioned between the blade face and the neck of the shaft.

The first pair of paddlers, called "pacers," "strokes" or "timers," set the pace for the team and are responsible for synchronizing their strokes with one another, because it is critical that all paddlers are synchronized. The direction of the dragon boat while racing is set by the steerer, but for docking and other maneuvers, individual paddlers may be asked to paddle (while others either stop the boat or rest) according to the commands given by the drummer or steerer.

There are generally three different strokes used by paddlers: a (normal) forward stroke, a backstroke, and a draw stroke.

Steerer

The direction of a dragon boat's movement is controlled by the steerer standing in the back of the boat. Many terms exist for the person steering the boat, such as steerer, steersperson, steerman, sweep, and helm.

Dragon boat crew in motion

The steerer manipulates a long (typically 9-feet) straight oar, called a steering oar. The steering oar is situated in a mechanism that holds the oar in place, called oar lock. The oar lock can be in a variety of designs, so long as it holds the oar in place and allows it to pivot. It is housed on top of the steering arm, which sticks out perpendicularly on the back-left of a dragon boat.

The oar is used to both steer the boat as it is moving and adjust the positioning of the boat. To steer, a steerer will put the blade of the oar into the water and either push the handle away from him/her, or pull it toward him/her. Doing so will turn the boat right or left, respectively.

A steerer can also use the steering oar to adjust the position of the boat by cranking. When a steerer cranks the steering oar, the stern of the boat moves either to the left or right, spinning the boat. This is typically executed to turn the boat around at practice or to ensure a boat is lined up straight and pointing directly down a racecourse.

A steerer uses calls to direct the paddlers. The steerer may call "paddles up" to prepare to paddle and "take it away!" to commence paddling. The steerer may use other calls such as "hold the boat" for the paddlers to brake using their paddles or "let it ride" for them to lift their paddles out of the water.

The steerer also calls the demands in the race for paddlers to better their placement and time in the event that they are participating in.

Dragon Boat Regatta by Wang Zhenpeng (14th c., Yuan dynasty)

Racing

Dragon boats racing in Hong Kong
HKDBA team being awarded the Guinness World Record in Hong Kong

Modern dragon boat racing is organized at the international level by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF), the world governing body for the sport. The IDBF is a member of the Global Association of International Sports Federations and is a founding federation of the AIMS Group (Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sport) within GAISF. AIMS is an IOC-Recognized Multi Sports Organization. The International Canoe Federation (ICF) also has a dragon boat program for those of its Member Canoe Federations with an interest in dragon boat.[12] Both Sport and Festival racing are very competitive and many paddlers train year round, using paddling machines or pools in addition to on-water sessions.[13]

A festival race is typically a sprint event of several hundred meters, with 500 meters being the most common. Races measuring 200, 1000, and 2000 meters are also standard distances in international competition. Races measuring 2000 meters are normally held on a 500-meter course, requiring teams to do two loops. Teams start and end at the same end of the course, and complete three 180-degree turns. Other distances may also be used in local festivals, such as 100 or 250 meters, or another distance, depending on the size of the body of water.

The established International Federation for dragon boat sport is the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). In 2007, the IDBF was recognized as a member of SportAccord (the former General Association of International Sports Federations, GAISF) which is part of the Olympic Movement, after SportAccord considered the historical and cultural backgrounds and identities of dragon boat sports.

IDBF member associations or federations have been established in 89 countries or territories since 1991. The IDBF is not presently an Olympic International Federation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but the IOC is currently considering the IDBF application for Olympic Federation status.

The International Canoe Federation, an IOC-recognized entity that governs many canoeing disciplines has also started to sanction Dragon Boat events. The ICF Dragon Boat World Championships have been held since 2006.[14]

Accidents and incidents

Véase también

Referencias

  1. 1 2 "Historia y Cultura" . Federación Internacional de Barcos Dragón . Consultado el 7 de mayo de 2024 .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Zanzanaini, Gabriella (2018-06-13). "Ícono olvidado: El arte en desaparición de la construcción de botes dragón" . Revista de la ciudad de Zolima . Recuperado el 2024-05-07 .
  3. 1 2 3 "El negocio familiar tradicional de fabricar un bote dragón para el festival Tuen Ng" . Young Post . 11 de junio de 2018. Consultado el 7 de mayo de 2024 .
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Ka-kuen, Lau. "Festival del Barco Dragón: una hazaña de ritmo y atletismo" . South China Morning Post . Recuperado el 7 de mayo de 2024 .
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Festival de botes dragón: los materiales compuestos de los botes y los remos añaden tecnicidad a una antigua tradición - JEC" . JEC . Consultado el 7 de mayo de 2024 .
  6. 1 2 3 4 Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, República de China (Taiwán) (1983-07-01). "La construcción de un bote dragón" . Taiwan Today . Recuperado el 2024-05-07 .
  7. ↑ Worcester, George. Los juncos y sampanes del río Yangtsé , 1971.
  8. ↑ ROBINSON, BELINDA. «Decenas de miles de camboyanos vitorean las carreras de botes centenarias». China Daily, 12 de noviembre de 2019, www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201911/12/WS5dca1702a310cf3e35576cd7.html. Consultado el 11 de agosto de 2020.
  9. ↑"Dragon boat racing calls to beginners and pros alike". Los Angeles Times. 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  10. ↑"IDBF Library". International Dragon Boat Federation. Archived from the original on 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  11. ↑"IDBF Racing Paddle Scheme"(PDF). International Dragon Boat Federation. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  12. ↑"Dragon Boat".
  13. ↑"Oswego Dragon Boat Festival". Oswegodragon.com. 2011-12-30. Archived from the original on 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
  14. ↑"Dragon Boat". 21 July 2015.
  15. ↑"Why Are People Still Dying in China's Dragon Boat Races?". 18 June 2018.
  16. ↑"Seventeen drown in Dragon Boat accident in China". 22 April 2018.
  17. ↑Buckley, Chris (22 April 2018). "Dragon Boats Capsize in Southern China; 17 Rowers Drown". The New York Times.
  18. ↑"Rowers drown in dragon boat accident in Philippines".
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