One of my favorite events in Hong Kong is the Dragon Boat Festival, or Tuen Ng. Officially it falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese Lunar calendar or June 8, this year. No matter the date, the celebrations are usually held on week-ends to allow as many people as possible to enjoy the races.
As in most Chinese festivals a major part of the celebration involves food: in this case, a special rice dumpling often wrapped in bamboo leaves, Zong-zi. This festival also gives people a reason to hold Dragon Boat races at many locations in the Territory.
The festival commemorates the death of a popular Chinese national hero, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the Mi Lo River over 2,000 years ago to protest against corrupt rulers. Legend has it that as townspeople attempted to rescue him, they beat drums to scare fish away and threw dumplings into the sea to keep the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body. Hence the connection to dumplings and to Dragon Boats which are rowed to the beat of a large drum.
There are four venues hosting Dragon Boat Races in May and June. Lamma Island kicked things off on May 11. Lamma's races are called the Lamma 500 since they are run over a 500 meter course. They tend to attract a heavily expatriate crowd. Chai Wan is hosting races on June 1. These races will be run by local fishermen and will attract a mostly Chinese audience. On June 8th, there are two locations in which to watch the Dragon Boats, Discovery Bay on Lantau Island and Stanley Beach on Hong Kong Island. I am sure there will be other less publicized races throughout the month in places like Sai Kung, Tuen Mun and Aberdeen.
The major racing event will be held June 14 and 15 at Sha Tin on the Shing Mun River. Dubbed the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races and sponsored by the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association, these races attract Dragon Boats from all over the world. They used to run the races in Victoria Harbour but a combination of pollution and rough water caused by the ever shrinking size of the harbor forced the move to Sha Tin
Participants, in even the minor races, train for months. Sitting two abreast, in the brightly painted 20 to 40 meter long boats, with a steersman at the back and a drummer at the front, the paddlers race to reach the finishing line, urged on by the pounding drum.
The famous dumplings are used to fuel both the rowers and the watchers, They can be either sweet or salty. In Hong Kong the sweet versions are often covered with sugar or honey and stuffed with red bean or date paste and chestnuts. The salty ones are stuffed with fresh cooked pork or ham as well as egg.
Since many Chinese believe that the fifth month is an unlucky month, Tuen Ng is considered an opportunity to curry favor with dragons who are water gods and crucial for agriculture and other water dependent pursuits. Many Chinese look forward to swimming or at a minimum simply dipping their hands in the water as part of a Tuen Ng ritual that will bring luck and health.
For those of us lucky enough to be in Hong Kong, attending the Dragon Boat races guarantees a great, fun day.