Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival returns
The 29th annual event introduced a regular women’s division to this year’s races
BY JENNA BAGCAL
The 29th annual Hong
Kong Dragon Boat Festival
got a dose of woman power
last weekend.
The yearly event returned
to Flushing Meadows Corona
Park on Aug. 3 and 4, this time
introducing a regular women’s
division to the races. Since
the festival’s inception nearly
three decades ago, Festival
Chairman Henry Wan said
that the organizers have
always encouraged women
to race.
“That’s women’s power.
When we first started we
had a women’s invitation.
We tried to encourage female
participation. Now so many
of them said, ‘I want our own
race,'” said Wan.
Three teams raced in the
regular women’s division at
this year’s festival but Wan
said that the organization
hopes to expand the division
in the upcoming years. Con
Edison, Flushing Bank
and Morgan Stanley came
in first, second and third
place respectively in the
women’s 250-meter race and
500-meter race.
A total of 17 teams
participated in the women’s
invitational races, which
resulted in NYPD Detective
Familia finishing in first
place, IDB H2OMG finishing
in second place and New York
Wall Street Dragons finishing
in third place. Click here for
a full list of results from last
weekend’s races.
Over 200 teams participated
in this year’s races, which also
featured live entertainment,
food trucks and giveaways.
More than 2,500 participants
came from across the United
States and Canada to race at
the 2019 festival.
Through the Hong Kong
Economic and Trade Office,
Wan started the festival in
1990 when teams raced on
the Hudson River in Battery
Park City. Now, it runs as an
independent nonprofit that
receives funding through
company sponsorships.
“Our goal is just trying
to put together a great
community event in the
park and we’re very glad to
see so much support from
the community, from the
mainstream media and
from the big corporations,”
said Wan.
In Chinese culture,
Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office team at the 29th annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Photos courtesy of Dean Moses
dragon boat racing is used
to commemorate the life of
poet and performer Qu Yan.
According to legend, Yan
drowned himself in the third
century B.C. to protest against
the emperor’s policies. Locals
raced in dragon boats to save
his body while beating drums
and splashing paddles. They
threw rice dumplings and
into the water to prevent
fish and water dragons from
eating him.
“I think that it is an
amazing tribute that so many
people show up year after
year,” said Queens Borough
President Melinda Katz.
“Thank you for celebrating
our 190 countries and 200
languages that we have here
in the borough of Queens. Our
diversity’s the gift we give
the rest of the United States
of America and so we are so
happy every year when people
come out.”
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by email at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone at (718)
260-2583.
TIMESLEDGER,20 AUG. 9-15, 2019 QNS.COM
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