34 THE QUEENS COURIER • DRAGON BOAT • AUGUST 9, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
dragon boat
Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Returns
BY KATHERINE NERI
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.
Th e 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.
Th e 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.
Th is year’s festival will include several
new races - Th e Municipal Invitational
race, the Health Care Invitational, the
Women’s Invitational, the Senior’s
Invitational, and the Educational
Invitational.
Th e 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.
Th is 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. Th e Charity race has provided more
than $300,000 to various NYC charities
throughout the years.
Th e 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.
Th e 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. Th eir 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.
Th e 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. Th e 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. Th is
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. Th e 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.
Th e 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.
Th e 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 Th e Sing Tao Newspaper, who will
be off ering activities for the entire family
to celebrate its 53rd anniversary of
their publication. Th ey will also be hosting
their annual Photo Contest as well as
a new Video contest this year. Th e 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 Th eater, 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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