Guangzhou's Liwan Lake Park's "Dragon Boat Ditch" harbors Pantang Village's 400-year-old dragon boat. The "Old Dragon Contract" is a well-known story between Pantang Dragon Boat and Foshan Yanbu "Old Dragon." When the dragon boat drums sound, the old dragon boat shows its might once again. The Pantang Dragon Boat carries the dragon boat sentiments of generations of Pantang people, who write about the enduring, united, and loving dragon boat spirit of Pantang Renwei in their own way.
Couple steers become a legend
"Every year in the fourth month of the lunar calendar, my dragon boat addiction kicks in!" says Liang Mianhai, head of the Dragon Boat Club in Pantang Shouyue, Er'yue, and Sanyue, who is nearly 60 years old. He has participated in the dragon boat awakening ceremony since he was 10 and has never missed it in over 50 years.
Liang Mianhai's father was also the head of the Dragon Boat Club in Pantang Shouyue, Er'yue, and Sanyue. He is also the drummer for Renwei No. 1 Dragon Boat. "After my father passed away in 1999, I learned to play the dragon boat drum and inherited the position of club head," says Liang. Every fourth month of the lunar calendar, he prepares for various dragon boat activities, "On the first day of the fifth lunar month, we go to Shijing; on the fifth day, we have the Pantang Dragon Boat Spectacle; on the sixth day, we visit the 'Godfather' in Foshan Yanbu. These three important days are remembered every year!"
Liang Mianhai is also one of the founders of the Dragon Boat Women Team in Pantang Shouyue, Er'yue, and Sanyue. "According to tradition, women are not allowed to row men's dragon boats. I only have a daughter, so to preserve the dragon boat culture, I proposed to the villagers to form a women's dragon boat team, and later received strong support from everyone."
Liang's wife, Cai Shaoling, is now the captain of the Dragon Boat Women Team in Pantang Shouyue, Er'yue, and Sanyue. She recalls, "The Dragon Boat Festival in 2014 was a memorable day for me. Our dedicated 'boat' and the newly built men's dragon boat were launched together. Since then, we women have had our own dragon boat to row every year!"
"Dragon Boat"culture passed on
Li Kaifan, a post-80s representative inheritor of the "Dragon Boat Rowing" intangible cultural heritage project in Liwan District, has been involved in the dragon boat activities in Pantang Shouyue, Er'yue, and Sanyue for many years. "My dragon boat soul was seeded at the age of around two or three. During the Dragon Boat Festival, my grandfather would take me to watch the dragon boat game. The dragon boat is our grandfather-grandson memory."
"Stories of Old Cantonese Dragon Boats from the Ming Dynasty", "Sound of Ming Dynasty Dragon Boat Drums", and "Debunking Dragon Boat Stories" are articles co-written by Li Kaifan with other experts and scholars. "Since 2006, I started consulting elders and experts inside and outside the village, collecting first-hand information about traditional dragon boats, and researching the historical origins of dragon boat activities," says Li. "Through studying dragon boat activities, I discovered that Pantang Dragon Boat Drumming has its own unique features, with various patterns that distinguish it from other villages."
In recent years, Li Kaifan has introduced dragon boat culture into schools and communities, educating the public about dragon boat sports and customs. Sometimes he even brings dragon boat drums and paddles for people to experience. Currently, he is involved in preparing the 2024 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Race's Cai Long (colorful dragon) competition. "This year, we will decorate the dragon boats with elements from Bai'etan Greater Bay Area Art Center, intangible cultural heritage, Pantang, and other aspects to showcase the new style of Liwan folklore."
