The Tuen Ng festival is over and most village dragon boats are already in dry dock. But for die-hard fans, the fun is just beginning. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will bring dragon boating back to Victoria Harbour when it jointly hosts the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival with the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association (HKDBA) from July 23-25 in Tsim Sha Tsui East.
The mega-event is part of the HKDBA's annual marketing theme, Festive Hong Kong 2010, and will draw dragon boat lovers, racers and spectators to our shores.
'We also hope to enhance the interest of visitors in general to visit Hong Kong, and to gain extensive world-wide media coverage,' says HKTB chairman James Tien.
The fun-filled weekend of mostly family entertainment centres on 140 local and international dragon boat teams, including top teams from Australia, Canada, the United States, Russia, Japan and the mainland. These dedicated teams are travelling to Hong Kong to compete in waters considered by some to be the birthplace of the modern dragon boat competition.
'Thirty five years ago, Hong Kong hosted the first international dragon boat race. The standards set at that time are adopted in dragon boat races held in more than 60 countries and regions today,' Tien says. The teams will compete in four championships - International Open, International Women's, International Mixed and International Junior, with the championship taking place on July 25.
Those who prefer to cheer from the sidelines, but are unfamiliar with the teams, should keep their eye on the China Nanhai Jiujiang dragon boat team, the champion of the 2008-2009 Macau International Invitational Standard Dragon Boat Races - Open Category.
'(They) will also join the competition and will surely be the spotlight competitor in the international race,' says a HKDBA spokesman.