A standard dragon boat race is usually 200 to 500 metres long, which means it is over very quickly — a top team can cover 200 metres in under a minute. Every paddler must dig their blade into the water at exactly the same moment, using the drum as a heartbeat to keep the timing tight. If even one paddler is out of time, the whole boat slows down. The teamwork required is extraordinary.
Dragon boats are beautiful objects close up. The hull is carved and painted with scales, the dragon head at the prow is often lacquered in red and gold, and the whole vessel is decorated with ribbons before each race. The drum is also painted and sits at the very front. The drummer watches the team, not the water, beating a rhythm that tells everyone when to pull.
Macau's dragon boat festival is held each year on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar — usually in June in the standard calendar. This timing has been kept for around 2,000 years across Chinese communities. On festival day, the water around Macau fills with boats, spectators line the waterfront and the air is full of drumming.
Dragon boat racing is now an international sport, with teams competing at world championships and in the Olympics as a demonstration sport. Teams from across Asia, Europe, North America and Australia train year-round. Macau's location between the South China Sea and the Pearl River delta makes it a natural host for water-based celebrations and competitions.