A Day at The Races: Hong Kong’s Annual Dragon Boat Festival

Why We Recommend it

A highlight of the Hong Kong festival calendar, Tuen Ng promises excitement, colour and adrenaline-boosting competition.

Description

Dragon boat festival, or Tuen Ng, occurs on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Chinese calendar, and is a festival on which large boats shaped like war canoes with crews ranging from 20 to 80 people take to the water and compete as crowds at the banks cheer them on. This year, the festival takes place on June 18.

A rambunctious affair, crews paddle to the beat of a drummer sitting in the middle of the boat as cymbals crash nearby.  Stemming from ancient traditions, the festival welcomes the onset of summer, when the dominant, masculine yang principle becomes the ruling force.

There are usually several dragon boat races during Tuen Ng across the territory, such as the International Dragon Boat Championships in Stanley (8:00-17:00) at Stanley Main Beach, the Sha Tin Dragon Boat Race (8:00-13:00) along the Shing Mung River, Sha Tin, and the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race (8:00-18:00), at the Aberdeen Promenade.

Other celebrations include the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival & Beer Fest (22-24 June 2018) which will be held at the Central Harbourfront.

Details

When: 18 Jun 2018 - 18 Jun 2018 Where: Various, Hong Kong