28 AUGUST 9, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
SPORTS
Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Returns
BY KATHERINE NERI
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Flushing Meadows Park hosts the
28th annual Hong Kong Dragon
Boat Festival this weekend, complete
with live entertainment of the
cultural arts, delectable fare, and of
course, the famous traditional dragon
boat races.
The two-day event is happening on
Aug. 11 and 12 and off ers fun for the
whole family and respectfully honors
the ancient Chinese tradition that
began as far back as the third century.
Admission to the event is free.
The festivities begin with an Opening
Day Parade that commences at
noon on Saturday, with the US Dragon
Boat Open Championship Race taking
place on Sunday. However, there will
be boat racing throughout both days
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Racing prizes this year include
eight round trip tickets to Hong Kong
provided by DELTA. Traditional Chinese
arts will also be showcased on
the main stage from the best regional
multicultural artists and traditional
music/dance from across the globe.
This year’s festival will include
several new races - The Municipal
Invitational race, the Health Care
Invitational, the Women’s Invitational,
the Senior’s Invitational, and the
Educational Invitational.
The Municipal Invitational race
will feature teams from elected offi -
cials - Mayor Bill de Blasio, Queens
Borough President Melinda Katz,
Congresswoman Grace Meng and
Assemblyman Ron Kim - all of whom
were invited to participate in the
event.
This year’s Corporate Invitational
will be comprised of sixteen Corporate
teams racing for their companies.
New York City government agencies
were also extended invitations to race.
Additionally, there will be a Charity
race that will donate approximately
$12,500 to the chosen charities of the
competing teams. Each of the competing
teams will contribute $2500
to the charity fund. The Charity race
has provided more than $300,000 to
various NYC charities throughout
the years.
The traditional Chinese arts taking
the spotlight on the main stage will be
musical performances, martial arts
demonstrations, the Dragon dance,
and folk arts and craft s demonstrations.
Attendees will also be able to
enjoy decadent food from the international
food court.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade
Offi ce in New York - the festival’s title
sponsor - will pitch a large tent with souvenirs
for visitors to take home. Their
offi cial dragon boat team, Our Hong
Kong Dragon Riders, will be competing
for championships in a total of six
diff erent races - Regular Open, Regular
Mix, Hong Kong Family Invitational,
Sponsor’s Invitational, Women’s Invitational,
and Educational Invitational.
The Dragon Boat Festival has a long,
cultural history. It is based upon the
legend of an ancient Chinese patriot
poet named Qu Yuan, who lived from
340-278 BC. He was unhappy with the
government in his home state of Chu
and actively advocated for reform. The
King of Chu, however, did not like this
and banished him from the state.
While in exile, Yuan traveled the
country, writing poetry about his
worries for his homeland. When Qu
Yuan heard of the invasion of his home
in 278 B.C., he drowned himself in the
Mi Lo River. This happened to be on
the fi ft h day of the fi ft h lunar month.
Legend has it that fi shermen nearby
tried, but failed to save him. To stop the
fi sh from eating his body, the fi shermen
threw rice dumplings into the
river, also as an off ering to his heroic
spirit.
Rice dumplings are recognized as
the main food of the festival and are
popularly eaten every year during
the celebration. Four days before the
event, the dragon boats are assembled
and ritually blessed by a Buddhist
monk. The dragons are “brought to
life” by having their eyes dotted ceremoniously
in red paint before the
races commence. Even though there
are so many events in the celebration,
the day is most well known and recognized
by the colorful and energetic
dragon boat races.
The fi rst Dragon Boat Festival took
place in 1990 on the Hudson River near
Battery Park; it was later relocated to
Flushing Meadows Corona Park on
Meadow Lake. Twenty-eight years
later, it is still a widely attended event
with thousands joining together to
both participate and celebrate.
The Queens Courier continues to be
one of the many media and creative
partners of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Other sponsors of this event include,
HSBC Bank, Toyota, Multicultural
Radio Broadcasting - who will be
providing a live radio broadcast both
days - and The Sing Tao Newspaper,
who will be offering activities for
the entire family to celebrate its 53rd
anniversary of their publication. They
will also be hosting their annual Photo
Contest as well as a new Video contest
this year. The New York Daily News
will sponsor exciting performers on
the main stage. Many of the festival’s
other sponsors are returning with
very special activities for the guests.
Additional support is provided by
Carnegie Hall, Lewis Latimer House,
Waterfront Alliance, the Queens Botanical
Garden, Queens Theater, Girl
Scouts of Greater NY, Climate Museum
and other non-profi ts to promote their
various programs.
For more information on the festival,
visit www.hkdbf-ny.org/
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