A great festival to both watch and take part in, the Dragon Boat festival in Hong Kong is one the city's most popular celebrations. Also known as Tuen Ng, the Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong still retains some of its traditional trappings but has also turned into a major sporting event.
Dragon boating is one of the world’s fastest growing sports and is basically a race between multiple long wooden boats , with up to eighty oarsmen in each. In Hong Kong, dragon boating is extremely competitive and teams train and race all year round, often in preparation for the festival. Festival time also sees teams descend from all over the world to participate, and races get very heated.
For spectators, a number of beachside areas in Hong Kong will turn into mini-carnivals, with food, drinks and outside seating set-up to watch the proceedings. Some of the best locations to see the events are Sha Tin in the New Territories, which is a good choice for families, Aberdeen on the south-side of Hong Kong Island, and Stanley, which remains the party-goers choice, as both expats and alcohol arrive in equal numbers.
In recent years, clubs and businesses have started hiring junks in Stanley, which include all you can eat and drink for a set-price. These are an excellent way to see the festival but tend to be private affairs rather than public. One point of contact is Jaspa's Junks
Dragon boat races take place over a number of days, however the main day, Monday June 9th for 2009, which is also a public holiday, sees both the festivals biggest races and biggest celebrations.
