The 2023 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races is making a return after a four-year hiatus.
Expect an action-packed two-day event that will fill the Victoria Harbour with adrenaline-pumping races, vibrant colours, sounds of drummers and cheering fans. The paddlers will be giving it their all as they race to the beat of the drum to the finish line off Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade. And with Hong Kong being the birthplace of modern dragon boat racing, you know it will be an event to remember.
Despite many speculations around the origin of the festival, one of the more well-known ones is that the day is to honour Qu Yuan, a Chinese patriotic poet and a beloved state servant who gave his life for his country. He was, however, exiled by Emperor Huai because of false accusations and, after the next emperor surrendered the country to their rivals, Qu drowned himself in the Miluo River.
Upon hearing of Qu’s death, villagers rowed along the river to recover his body, but in vain. To prevent the fish from eating his body, they made zongzi, or glutinous rice dumplings, and threw them into the river. This has since evolved into the Chinese traditions of eating zongzi and rowing dragon boats during the festival.
Fun Fact: Did you know there is a connection between the dragon boat festival and plagues? Ancient people regarded the fifth day of the fifth lunar month as the ‘evil month and evil day’. They believed it was easier to get sick on this day, so some say that the traditional Dragon Boat Festival rituals and customs are actually for driving away bad luck and plagues.
Dragon boat races have been around for more than a thousand years. The event is originated from the Lingnan region of China, where people believed the water that passed through the oars of dragon boats was auspicious. But the modern version of the races actually began in Hong Kong some 40 years ago. In 1976, the first international dragon boat race was held in Hong Kong, with nine local teams competing against a Japanese team. The competition defined the sport at an international level and laid the foundation for the dragon boat races we are so familiar with today.
Every summer, more than 100 local and international teams gather in the city for this high-performance competition. What’s more, it’s free!
More exciting races are coming up this year: selected strong teams competing in the Macao International Dragon Boat Races (22 June) and the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will be contending for the inaugural Hong Kong-Macao Trophy (25 June) ― organised in collaboration with Macao ― in Hong Kong. Teams from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region will also compete for the coveted Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Championship in Hong Kong on the same day.
Dragon boats used to be made of wood, but now they’re usually made of fibreglass. With a lighter weight, the modern dragon boat can be paddled faster and won’t gain weight from absorbing water like the wooden boats do. It’s also more cost effective and environmentally friendly. As exciting as it is to watch the dragon boats cross the finish line, the start of the race, especially the first five paddles, is the key. Nothing beats watching the players paddle in unison and accelerate in tandem — a perfect show of team spirit.
Usually, the competition is split into two categories: the 500 m standard boat races and the 200 m small boat races. A standard boat seats 20 paddlers, while a small boat can accommodate 12 players. But, the 2023 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will feature standard boat races only.
Besides the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races in Tsim Sha Tsui East, various exciting local dragon boat races also take place around the city during the festival, such as the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships, Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race, and Sha Tin Dragon Boat Race. Click here for more details on the races held in Hong Kong this year.