An exciting series of races delights spectators during the event. Every boat has a cox - who beats a rhythm on ceremonial drums to keep the rowers in time. The winners of the races are crowned king for the year, a great honour among the Chinese in Penang.

The races take place in remembrance of a great Chinese poet, Qu Yuan, who lived as a courtier in the court of the Chou Dynasty until one day he was thrown into the sea after maltreatment at the hands of a corrupt and evil official. When the local fishermen learnt of the poet's demise, they set out in their boats, trawling the waters to find him.

Legend has it that as they attempted to rescue him, they beat drums to scare fish away and threw dumplings into the sea to keep the fish from eating his body. During the festival period, people eat rice-and-meat dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and many look forward to swimming, or even simply dipping their hands in the water, to symbolise trying to save him.