About Us
The Golden Dragons formed in 2012 and can often be found paddling across Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. We share this beautiful lake with two other clubs, Ballarat Dragon Abreast and The Chinese Dragons. Currently, we paddle out of the Wendouree-Ballarat Rowing Club.
People of all genders, ages and sporting abilities are welcome to join Golden Dragons. Our club's mission is to foster a fun and inclusive environment where teamwork thrives, and diverse cultures come together. We are committed to promoting dragon boating as a growing community sport in Ballarat and the surrounding districts.
As our competitive club expands, we aim to form teams that compete in both national and international events, welcoming participants of all ages and backgrounds to join us on this exciting journey.
About Dragon Boating
Dragon Boating has rich cultural origins, being deeply embedded in China’s “Dragon” Culture. Each boat is dressed with an ornately carved dragon’s head at the bow and a tail at the stern. The boat is painted with scales and to complete the picture, the paddles symbolically represent the dragon’s claws.
Originally, Dragon Boats were used for religious purposes as a way to appease the rain gods. Later, Dragon Boating celebrated the life of Qu Yuan, a great warrior poet, who committed suicide in the river Mi Lo, as a protest against political corruption of the day. To commemorate this sacrifice, the people began to organise dragon boat festivals in his memory.
Modern day dragon boating is a truly competitive sport with teams competing up to World Championship level. Over 50 million paddlers participate annually in competitions across the globe and Australia competes strongly on the international stage.
More information about Dragon Boating can be found on Dragon Boat Victoria’s and the Australian Dragon Boat Federation’s websites.
