Dragon Boat Festival & Races

The merrymaking continues with Hong Kong's popular dragon boat festival (Tuen Ng).

The festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in protest against corrupt rule more than 2,000 years ago. Nowadays, dragon boat racing has become the main attraction related to the festival.

Each boat is decked out with a carved and vividly painted wooden dragon head and tail. On the boat sits a huge drum – the heartbeat of the dragon – used to synchronize the strokes of the paddlers. Teams of about 20 crew per boat train rigorously for months in advance of a race.

Modern dragon boat racing is the fastest growing team water sport and visitors gather in Hong Kong from across the globe to watch or participate in these exhilarating contests of skill and strength.