Image by Flickr user rbglasson

The 4th Annual Charleston Dragon Boat Festival returns to the Lowcountry this Saturday.

The Ashley River will become the play place for four-foot dragon boats and their 20-person crews. The pounding of drums will fill the air around Brittlebank Park, where spectators are invited and encouraged to come out and cheer the teams on to victory.

Here's a bit of background on the races for those of you who may be unfamiliar:

The goal is for paddlers to move in unison, combining strength with teamwork in a boat whose elaborate design originates in ancient China. Dragon boats are the world's largest flat water racing canoes, propelled by a crew of 20 plus a drummer and a steersperson, provided by the Festival. Teamwork is everything in dragon boat racing. Synchronicity is more important than strength.

For a peek at what's in store, take a look back at Paul Zoeller's photo essay from the 2010 event.