Last year marked the first year that Dragon Boat Carnival was held in Hong Kong, sponsored by the government money to promote Hong Kong’s tourism. The Carnival will be held in Tsim Sha Tsui East on 17-19 June this year, with 160 teams, local and overseas, participating in Dragon Boat races in Victoria Harbour, accompanied by activities on the land, featuring a Beer Garden serving beer, food booths and performances.
To see the traditional dragon boat races in the city, however, you must come on the Dragon Boat Festival day, i.e. 6 June (Monday) this year. On that day, across the city, races are held in varied districts, with the one in Stanley most famous and with the longest history. Called Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships, the race has 43 years of history and is reported in the media annually. Local companies, especially those big ones, love to send their corporate teams to the racing, as a way of team building and a part of employee welfare.
Besides the above mentioned dates, the city hosts many other dragon boat races during the summer. Here are some other dates in 2011 on which you can see dragon boat races:
29 May (Sunday)– Cheung Chau (outlying island)
5 June (Sunday) – Mei Wo, Lantau Island (outlying island)
5 June (Sunday) – Chai Wan, Hong Kong Island
5 June (Sunday) – Cheung Chau (outlying island)
26 June (Sunday)– Tai O, Lantau Island (outlying island)
26 June (Sunday) – Stanley, Hong Kong Island
1 July (Friday)– Lama Island (outlying island)
9 July (Saturday) – Shing Mun River, Shatin
10 July (Sunday) – Sai Kung
17 July (Sunday) – Shing Mun River, Shatin
7 August (Sunday) – Cheung Chau (outlying island)
21 August (Sunday) – Shing Mun River, Shatin
4 September (Sunday) – Ap Lei Chau harborfront
