Dragon Boat Carnival

Battle of the Boats

While the dragon boat is associated with the Tuen Ng Festival and rice dumplings in Chinese communities, dragon boat racing is widely practiced around the world as a team sport, and it was in Hong Kong where it was first recognised as a modern international sport in 1976.

Through the years, the scale of dragon boat racing has expanded tremendously in Hong Kong. The CCB (Asia) Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, part of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival 2013, attracted 200 teams comprising over 5,000 paddlers, compared to just 10 teams back in 1976. The carnival also further stretched the concept of dragon boat racing, from a Chinese custom and a sport, to a party activity in summer. Offering fun elements like the Celebrity Bathtub Race and the San Miguel BeerFest, the carnival allowed spectators and paddlers to enjoy the hot action in the sea, while cooling down with ice-cold beer and live music at the same time.