Similar Stories to Dragon Boat Festival Brings Thousands To Treasure Island on Bing News

Treasure Island was transformed Saturday by the pounding of drums, the shimmer of lion dancers and the scent of fresh wontons. The real action was in the water, where 120 ornate and colorful dragon boats sliced through Clipper Cove, with thousands of spectators cheering from the shore. The 19th annual International Dragon Boat Festival was expected to bring 60,000 athletes and spectators to the marina at Treasure Island for two days of races, entertainment and camaraderie. Racers came from throughout the Bay Area and as far away as Canada and the East Coast, making it the largest dragon boat festival in the U.S., organizers said. The sporting world has no shortage of boat races, from sailboats to kayaks, but none have the storied history and traditions of dragon boats. The sport originated 2,000 years ago in China as an effort to appease the rain gods and later became a way to honor a Chinese poet who killed himself in the Mi Lo river to protest political corruption, according to the International Dragon Boat Federation. Dragon boats are 40 feet long and designed to resemble dragons, with vividly detailed, fire-breathing heads on the bow and pointy tails on the stern. The festival, which is free, continues Sunday from 10 a.m.