We’re sure you know that tomorrow’s Tuen Ng, a.k.a. Dragon Boat Festival – the annual festival is one of our favourite traditional Chinese holidays, and with good reason.
Tuen Ng Festival is said to be a commemoration for Qu Yuan, a poet and minister who drowned himself in the Miluo River when his native state Chu was captured by another state, Qin.
Legend has it that the locals, who admired Qu, raced up and down the Miluo in boats to retrieve his corpse. During their search, they were said to have dropped balls of sticky rice wrapped with leaves (zongzi) into the water for the fish, in order to prevent them from eating Qu’s body. Gnarly.
While you might not buy into the legendary origins of Tuen Ng, no one can deny that dragon boat races, beers, and sticky rice dumplings are a winning combo. Whether you’re into the idea of a massive three-day carnival, some good ol’ fashioned regional races, or watching a traditional parade from a stilt house, we’ve got something for you. Oh, by the way, everything on this list is free to attend (thanks Qu Yuan).
The Big Guns
SunLife Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships
As one of the most internationally renowned dragon boat races, the dragon boat championships in Stanley draw teams from all over the world to compete with Hong Kong’s finest paddlers, and attract crowds of over 30,000 spectators. It is, in other words, A Big Deal.
When: 8am to 6pm, Thursday June 9
Where: Stanley Main Beach (Google Maps)
The Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races & San Miguel Beer Fest
Also known as the Dragon Boat Carnival, this three-day race is one of the major events in the international dragon boating calendar. International, local, and sponsored teams compete against each other in Victoria Harbour, flanked by the city’s famed skyline as attendees are entertained by marching bands, lion dancing, and live music. Oh, and did we mention there will be beer tents? Ka-ching!
When: 12pm to 9pm, Friday, June 10 to Sunday, June 12
Where: Watch the races from Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade (Google Maps) and party at UC Centenary Garden (Google Maps)
Regional races
For a more low-key, but equally fun vibe, check out the regional races and mini-festivals happening all around Hong Kong (in alphabetical order, because we’re not biased)
What: Aberdeen Dragon Boat Races
When: 8am to 6pm, Thursday, June 9
Where: Aberdeen Promenade (Google Maps)/Aberdeen West Typhoon Shelter (Google Maps)
What: Cheung Chau Dragon Boat Festival
When: 10am to 4pm, Thursday, June 9
Where: Cheung Chau Typhoon Shelter. Find out how to get to Cheung Chau here.
What: Discovery Bay Dragon Boat Races and Carnival
When: 8am to 3:30pm, Thursday, June 9
Where: Tai Pak Beach, Discovery Bay. Find out how to get to Discovery Bay here.
What: Sai Kung Dragon Boat Festival
When: 8am to 2pm, Thursday, June 9
Where: Sai Kung Waterfront (Google Maps)
What: Sha Tin Dragon Boat Races
When: 8am to 1pm, Thursday, June 9
Where: Shing Mun River – starts near Banyan Bridge (Google Maps) and ends near Sha Yin Bridge (Google Maps)
Parading, Fragant Harbour-style
And finally, the Tai O Water Parade. This village on the western side of Lantau is known as “Hong Kong’s Venice”, thanks to its stilt houses and fishing culture. On Tuen Ng, the villagers burn incense and paper offerings for the gods, and place figures of Chinese folk deities on colourful sampans towed by dragon boats, which will then compete in a race to “entertain the gods”. Read more about Tai O’s traditional celebrations here.
When: 8am to 2pm, Thursday, June 9
How to get there: From the Tung Chung bus terminus (Google Maps), catch the Number 11 bus to Tai O.
Got a tip? Send it to us at hongkong@coconuts.co
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