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The 2010 event will take place on Saturday 11th September and Sunday 12th September.
The Dragon Boat Festival is the largest event of its type in Europe with 100 teams competing over the weekend in 10 dragon boats watched last year by around 15,000 spectators. The setting at Bewl Water, Lamberhurst, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent is a perfect backdrop for the event.
Over £1.4 million in total has been raised for more than 175 charities in the last 12 years.
The Festival has grown each year and we have extended the weekend's activities with field events, tented village, bands, personalities/celebrities, all giving a lively carnival atmosphere.
We believe this is the most fun to be had raising money for charity!
Funraisers charge nothing to watch the races but there is an admission charge to Bewl Water levied by BWM Associates Ltd of:
Competitors: £5 per vehicle with an official discount voucher supplied by Funraisers.
Spectators: At time of posting this was set at £5 per adult and £3 per child. Please see official Bewl website www.bewl.co.uk for confirmation of admission charge.
A child is classed as aged 3 - 15.
Dragon Boat Racing Myths and Legends
The ancient Chinese tradition of Dragon Boat Racing goes back more than 2000 years to 01 AD! Shrouded in myths, legends and superstitions one origin of the Dragon Boat Festival is in rain making magic. Dragon boat races were held in China in the height of summer, re-enacting the battle between Lung, dragon of the air and Le, dragon of the water. The two dragons were believed to have fought in the clouds and produced rain. So watch out!
Human Sacrifice
Another theory is linked to the fear that decay and death would begin after Midsummer's Day. In common with many ancient beliefs and religions, the Chinese believed that a human sacrifice was necessary to appease the powers of darkness. One way of achieving this was to hold a mock battle of the dragon boats with the losers symbolizing the sacrifice. If a losing boat sank, the crew might be left to drown because it was believed that they had been chosen by the gods to be the sacrifice. We shall not be following this tradition in our dragon boat challenge - our rescue boats will be waiting to help anyone who decides to test the temperature of Bewl Water!
Final Protest
The most popular, romantic yet saddest legend is that of Qu Yuan, a wise counsellor and loyal aide to the Emperor Huai in the 3rd Century BC. He was 'framed' by a corrupt courtier and banished from the palace, so he wandered the lands as a poet and became loved by the people. When his petition to return to the palace was rejected he drowned himself in the Mi Lo River. His followers tried to search for his body and made a great noise to frighten away the fish that might eat it. Thereafter the anniversary of Qu Yuan's death was developed into races between dragon boats with the beating of the drums to help scare away the hungry fish. Eventually the festival and races spread throughout Chinese coastal and river communities and has finally come as far as our own wonderful location - Bewl Water! |
What is the Dragon Boat Festival 
