2021 CAT A - Fast and Furious—— Drifting Dragon Boat Flume Landscape Design
Located in the north of Foshan, China, Diejiao water village has its stunning intangible cultural heritage known as “Drifting Dragon Boat Race”. In Diejiao, rivers with an average width of 6-meter only support a single ship timing race. The 25-meter dragon boat with 50 racers drifts on the multi-bend river channels and hundreds of dragon boats compete their speed and skill in narrow curved tracks. The “fast and furious” dragon boat drifting in different waterways including shape S, shape C, shape L with different degrees of difficulty will bring Foshan Dragon Boat Season to its peak.
However, due to increasingly expansion of the event , over 600-year-old village is confronted with multiple crisis regarding the watching experience, personal safety, event management, urban ecology and so on. With audiences squash into limited watching space by the river, the traditional site circulation system is being overwhelmed and the present situation is raising safety concerns of both audience and racer.
In response to the current site condition, the project perceives the terrestrial car drifting principle and creatively maps a series of applicable regulations to a new situation—the existing waterway. In so doing, the traditional race will be transformed into an evolving drifting game which brings all participants with a better vision, a safer space and a more immersive experience. By redefining the on-site users , a schematic racing plan is introduced to accommodate the dynamic audience flow as well as organize the multiple functions such as management and business.
In a way, the project tentatively explores the future landscape and public space of Diejiao water village in the context of inheriting its indigenous drifting dragon boat race culture. Hopefully, the project could ignite new thoughts in dealing with the current development in Diejiao, and bridge the way for the future.
