Hong Kong turns Dragon Boat Festival into city-wide racing carnival

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By CGTN's Mao Dan

Dragon Boat Festival can't happen without dragon boat racing, an activity that requires teamwork above anything else. In Hong Kong, traditional activities related to the festival are becoming more modern and internationalized.

Participants in high spirit despite steamy weather /CGTN Photo

A dozen dragon boat races are held across Hong Kong for the Festival. At Stanley Beach in the south of Hong Kong Island, organizers are presenting a carnival involving everyone attending the event.

And this very Chinese tradition now welcomes international participants from Japan, Korean, Lebanon and England. One of the teams even flew in from Australia to join the racing.

Paddlers dress up for Dragon Boat Race in Hong Kong's Stanley Beach /CGTN Photo

Paddlers believe the activity is great for team-building but is also a lot fun. They train for at least two months, some for as long as a year before the festival day to give their best performance.

And the fun goes well beyond the boat racing itself. Because for some participants, winning is not so vital. It’s the getting together and taking part in the style of the event that matters most -- be it little-roaster-hats, striped sailor’s jerseys or any costume that reflects the high spirits of the festival.

Female paddlers pose after finishing their race/ CGTN Photo

Over 280 teams featuring around 6,000 paddlers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and overseas are taking part in the Stanley Dragon Boat race this year, attracting an estimated 200,000 spectators.

And it’s just the start of a series of dragon boat events. Over the next few weeks, more teams will come to town and hit the water.

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