FILIPINO paddlers stamped their mark overseas anew as they reigned supreme in the 2010 Taipei International Dragon Boat Championship recently at Dajia Riverside Park in Taipei.

The Philippine Dragon Boat squad, winner of numerous international titles, finished in one minute and 57.8 seconds to edge out three local teams in the Men’s Open Boating Contest.

It was not an easy victory, however, with the Hualien Joint Canoeing Team of Taiwan giving the Filipinos a tough fight throughout the 500-meter race and finishing just under 0.3 seconds behind.

The Dragon Boat Festival drew 213 local and international teams with NT$2 million ($61,650) in cash prizes given to winners, along with trophies and certificates.

The Philippine team bagged NT$400,000 (P600,000).

The competition, held in celebration of the traditional Dragon Boat Festival, took place with crowds cheering loudly despite heavy rains.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin attended the evening party on June 12 and spent several hours with the boatmen and spectators, according to Taiwan Today. Ambassadors and representatives from Guatemala, El Salvador and the Philippines were also present.

Other events include a rice dumpling (or zongzi) making competition.

The Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, is an important traditional festival in Taiwan and mainland China. People hold boating contests and eat zongzi to commemorate the life of the ancient poet Qu Yuan and celebrate the arrival of summer.

Reference: Business Mirror