San Diego has the Chargers, the Padres and the Gulls, but none of these teams' records compare with that of the San Diego International Dragon Boat Racing team. Very few San Diegans know of or appreciate our hometown heroes but for 17 years, paddlers and aficionados from thousand of miles away are well aware of this team who has won championships in such faraway places as Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Honoring the accomplishments of the San Diego International Dragon Boat Racing teams the exhibit shows their trophies, plaques, and medals. The rich history of this thousand-year old cultural tradition and the folk tales behind it are also presented.

Dragon Boats are long, multicolored boats with frightening dragon heads at the bow, long bodies, and scaly tails at the stern that splash through the water. The reason the boats are in the shape of the dragon corresponds to the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival in China. The ancient people of southern China believed the dragon to be the water god so they offered sacrifices and worshiped the dragon so that he would send them rains for the rice harvest. Therefore, a boat crafted in the shape of a dragon, would pay homage to the water god, while also frightening him into sending the worshippers rain. The Dragon Boat rowers surely felt the dragon's strength, speed, and power as they paddled to the beat of a drum. Inside the boat, they were also protected from danger and other aquatic animals. The boats were painted primarily in red, because red symbolizes summer and fertility. Colorful banners and flags often adorned the boats displaying the crests of the rowers' clans or villages. Some banners honored the guardian deity of the clan, often a drowned person. Dragon Boats varied in length from 40-100 feet. Some boats of 100 feet could fit 80 rowers inside. Fir wood was the standard material used for construction. Today the modern dragon racing boat is usually 48 feet in length, with enough room for 24 persons. It has a 51 oz. laminate hull and is constructed from fiberglass and plywood to keep the boat light and speedy. The unique, concave design makes the Dragon Boat the largest flat-bottomed racing boat in the world. The symbolic dragon head and tail are still an integral part of the modern Dragon Boat.