Huangpu dragon boats have a long history. According to the oral accounts of the old people in Wugufang, Huangpu dragon boats originated from racing boats. The dragon boats that can now seat dozens of people and are commonly known as long dragons were introduced from Shunde and became popular during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, more than 200 years ago. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month), there is a tour of Ruilong. (1) Distribution and number of Huangpu ancient dragon boats: They are distributed in the five ancient squares (Beitou, Gangdong, Linghui, Gulou, and Sanshe). There are two boats in Beitou, three in Gangdong, and one each in Linghui, Gulou, and Sanshe, for a total of eight boats. The dragon boats in each square have their own distinct markings: Gangdongnan uses a green oar with a seven-star flag, Beiyou uses a red oar with a commander flag, and Shiling uses a red oar with a gold coin and a green oar. (2) Structure of the dragon boat The dragon boat is divided into three parts: the dragon head, the dragon body, and the dragon tail. Each part is made of hard and water-resistant Pontianak wood. The dragon head is a wooden dragon head with grinning teeth and bulging eyes. There are two dragon whiskers on the head. The entire dragon head is four feet and six inches long. The dragon body has keel, bottom plate, vertical side plate, and dragon tendons, which are assembled with copper nails and thick copper wire. It takes 4 months to make. The length of the boat, including the dragon head and tail, is 7 zhang and 7 chi (si zhang) and 3 chi 3 cun wide. The stern is made of wood carvings with clear lines. The appearance of the boat is black, and sometimes there are dragon scales carved all over the outside of the dragon boat body and covered with gold foil. From a distance, this kind of dragon boat is exquisite and vivid. The bow of the dragon boat is divided into two single cabin seats on the right and left. The person sitting at the bow carries the oar. The stern of the dragon has two single cabin seats, which are specially for the chief and deputy helmsmen. The hull has 24 double-row seats, and there is a gong and drum player in the middle, who is responsible for commanding the rhythm and speed. The whole boat can accommodate 55 or 57 "rowers". In the old days, all of them were men, but now women can also race dragon boats. Usually, the hull is buried in the mud pit on the riverbed. Before it is put into use, it is dug out from the mud pit, washed and wiped clean, coated with lard, and soaked in water after drying. Before setting out, an auspicious day is chosen to hold a "Wang Long" ceremony. (3) "Wang Long" of the Dragon Boat "Wang Long" is the prelude to rowing a dragon boat. When the water level rises, Mr. Nanmu burns incense and prays for treasures. He sticks two or three dragon boat charms on the boat and recites a spell, which means that the voyage will be smooth and the villagers will be blessed with good health. Pregnant women are not allowed to watch during the "Wang Long" ceremony. Young men whose wives are "four-eyed" (pregnant) are also not allowed to ride the boat. "Wang Long" is done by sprinkling rooster blood on the dragon head to add the finishing touch. Firecrackers are then set off, and the sound of gongs, drums and shouts along the way resound through the sky. During the "Wang Long" ceremony, the boat is rowed back and forth twice along the current. After the end, men, women, women and children all compete to scoop up "dragon boat water" to wash their faces and bathe, in order to ward off evil spirits, avoid disasters and stay healthy. To date, there is only one dragon boat left in Beitoufang and five in Gangdongfang buried in the riverbed. The rest have been broken or buried deep under the cement road. (4) Dragon Boat Competition Dragon boats are divided into two categories: "civil boats" and "military boats". "Civil boats" are not racing boats, but are used for river cruises and to promote the prosperity of the village. Every year on the Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat cruises have become a traditional custom in Huangpu. At noon on that day, each ward places umbrellas, high flags, colorful flags, gongs, drums, and Bodhisattva shrines in the boat and makes some arrangements. The dragon head is passed through the bow with iron wire, and the dragon tail is tied to the stern with iron wire, and a colorful ball is hung vertically. When cruising the river, a person stands at the bow of the boat, holding a rope to pull the dragon head. Behind the dragon head is a wooden sign with the name of the ward to indicate the boat's ownership. Behind the wooden sign, two shining high flags are inserted vertically on both sides of the boat body, and colorful umbrellas are arranged. A person stands at the stern, holding a large triangular colorful flag of various colors fluttering. The umbrellas rotated, the suona played, the drums and music rang out, the scene was melodious and exciting, and it was very lively. The 55 people on the boat wore white shirts, sand belts around their waists, small bamboo hats on their heads, and held wooden oars of the same color. The "pazai" followed the rhythm of the drums and paddled slowly and gently, and rotated the wooden oars in an orderly manner from time to time to enhance the viewing experience. On both sides of the river, there were crowds of people standing and watching. Men, women, old and young all rushed to scoop river water with their hands to wipe their faces, believing that washing the dragon boat water could exorcise demons, eliminate diseases and ensure safety. When the dragon boat passed by, cheers, shouts, and firecrackers resounded through the sky. The noise lasted until four or five o'clock in the afternoon, and people returned home with great pleasure. Before liberation, the "Five Ancient" squares in Huangpu had the custom of paddling "wenchuan" during the Dragon Boat Festival, which never stopped. After liberation, "wenchuan" parades were also held on the Dragon Boat Festival and National Day. On the National Day in October 2001, with the support of people from all walks of life, Gangdong sent three dragon boats to Dongfeng Town to perform a "wenchuan" river rowing performance, which was well received and praised by the masses. The "wuchuan" competition is a competition of speed. The participating dragon boats are selected from strong and healthy men for seven days and seven nights (not allowed to go home) basic training. They sit on wooden benches and practice hand strength and oarsmanship to the beat of drums. The movements must be neat and powerful, and then go to the river to practice endurance. The "wuchuan" does not use umbrellas and colorful flags to dress up, only gongs and drums to command the rowers to fight hard and strive for the championship. Huangpu has always followed the dragon boat competition, which has become a traditional folk custom. The dragon boat race is mainly based on "Yunma'an" (that is, circling the Ma Xinwei waterway). The participating boats gathered at the port dock to "release the head", followed the Huangpu waterway to the east, passed Erhe Tuanfan, Pingzhouwei, turned to Huangshali, went straight up the Jiya waterway, passed Ma'an Shangqiutou and turned back to Huangpu waterway, passed Erw and Xinsha and returned to Jhaiyong, and went straight into Zhangshazui Qiaotou to win the championship. The whole journey is about 20 kilometers and takes 80 minutes. "Yun Ma'an" once circulated in Gangdong: "Gangdong dragon boat is seven feet and seven (Si Zhang), and Yun Ge Ma'an is very angry." There is also a folk song in Beixi: "Beitou dragon boat is seven feet and seven, and Ma'an wins first place after rowing." The memorable dragon boat race was on the Dragon Boat Festival in 1930 (Gengwu year), and was funded and rewarded by Wu Song (Gaolaosong), the head of the Huangpu Merchant Group and the owner of Anhe Store. There are four participating boats, Beitou, Gangdong Beiyue, Nanyue, and Shiling. At 12 noon, the "rowers" of each boat put on white sweaters and white cloth hats and went to the "release head" location to gather. Some of the onlookers held umbrellas and climbed to the top of Yandun Mountain to watch, while others watched from both sides of the sea. The scene was grand and lively. After the starting gun was fired, waves of gongs and drums, firecrackers, and shouts resonated and resonated, booming the sea. Looking from a high place, the dragons were like four centipedes waving and moving up and down in the waves, sometimes in front and sometimes behind, which was dazzling. After 80 minutes of fighting between dragons and tigers, the dragons entered the sea. At this time, the two dragons were running side by side, and it was difficult to tell who won. The onlookers cheered for their own dragon boats. After the race, Beitou won the first place and Gangdong won the second place, and they were awarded the gold medals of "Flying Dragon Giant" and "Airship Giant" respectively. He Junsan, a scholar from Beitou, once wrote a couplet: "Jinduolongmen is a giant, Zhutan Aohai is the first to take the lead." After the founding of New China, dragon boat racing activities were held many times. Large-scale dragon boat racing activities were held on the National Day in 1959 and in August 1961 to celebrate the third anniversary of the establishment of the People's Commune. In the winter of 1962, the dragon boat of Gangdong Beiyue was rowed to Huanglian, Shunde, and was rebuilt by Master He Xiyi. During the "Cultural Revolution", dragon boats were regarded as "four olds" and were said to have feudal superstition. Dragon boat racing was interrupted for many years and was gradually resumed after the reform and opening up. On the National Day of 1994, a large-scale dragon boat competition was held, and Gangdong Beiyue won the first place. On the National Day of 1997, Gangdong Village held a dragon boat festival. The dragon boat parade lasted for two days, and hundreds of banquets were set up in the school to cook "dragon boat rice" to entertain leaders, guests and fellow villagers at all levels. After that, Huangpu Town held dragon boat racing activities on every major festival.