Jul 30 〜 Jul 31
The Nagasaki Peiron Championship (長崎ペーロン選手権大会) is thought to have been started in 1655 by the Chinese community in Nagasaki in a bid to appease the gods after Chinese merchant boats docked in the harbour sunk in a storm, taking the lives of many traders down with them. Today, visitors can see the narrow boats—each 14 meters long and holding 30 rowers—race a distance of 1,150 meters in the bay of Nagasaki, all to the beat of gongs and drums. The races start at 10am each day and finish around 3pm on the Saturday and 1pm on the Sunday. The festivities, however, continue well into the evening with music and dancing, and a small fireworks display at 8:30pm each night.
