Meadow Lake, the home of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival for more than 30 years, will be hosting a different kind of rowing event on Saturday.
File photo by Dean Moses
To celebrate the “Year of the Rabbit,” the 31st Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York (HKDBF-NY) will take place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Aug. 12 and 13.
HKDBF-NY, the oldest and largest traditional boat festival in the country, will feature boat races, food, and free live entertainment. The tradition of boat racing is rooted in an annual Chinese rite that commemorates Qu Yuan, an idealistic poet and performer who drowned himself in 278 B.C. “to protest against his emperor’s policies.”
Inspired by the locals racing in boats to rescue Yuan and prevent water dragons from “eating his body,” the Dragon Boat Races utilize colorful teak boats customly made in Hong Kong. Each boat weighs one ton, features a Dragon head at the front and tail on the back, and is operated by up to 20 crew members during the races.
Like years past, this year’s special races include sponsors, media, women, seniors, youth, education, healthcare and families, as well as the Municipal Invitational, which will feature teams from the offices of Mayor Eric Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
For the first time, HKDBF-NY will include the “Hello Hong Kong Invitational,” a new race sponsored by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, as well as a new Chinese Cultural Invitational. The most challenging race, however, will take place on Aug. 13 with the U.S. Dragon Boat Open Championship Race.
“There are also special Educational and Health Care Invitationals and the always exciting and rewarding Charity race, featuring funds raised by the participating teams to be donated to the charities designated by the winning teams,” the Hong Kong Tourism Board released in a statement. “Over the years the Charity…
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