The “Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races”, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association (HKCDBA), was held in success on 24 and 25 June. The two-day event took stage at the Tsim Sha Tsui East waterfront, consisting of 17 races with over 160 teams of about 4,000 top athletes from ten countries and regions competing for various titles, including first-time participants from Poland, as well as Australia, Dubai, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, the Mainland China, Macao and Hong Kong. The tournaments also attracted visitors to gather alongside the Victoria Harbourfront, where they enjoyed the races and cheered for the athletes.
This year, five of the major competitions are offering cash prizes of US$10,000 to winners of the titles, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Championship, won by Zhuhai’s team out of 11 elite teams from Jiangmen, Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, as well as Hong Kong and Macao, and a brand-new Hong Kong-Macao Trophy, which Dragon Boat Thailand won.
The International Open Grand Championship, contested by the best 32 local and non-local teams in the preliminary rounds of contestants of all titles on the first day, was won by the team representing Fuzhou against the strong teams.
On the other hand, the fun-filled Fancy Dress Competition saw seven creatively dressed teams racing across the Harbour, with the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants – Dragon Bot Team, dressing up as glamourous characters from “Alice in Wonderland”, claiming the Fancy Dress Award, bringing party element to the exciting races.
What’s more, the time-limited LINE FRIENDS Hello Hong Kong Dargon Boats Photo Spots were brought to the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui together with the LINE FRIENDS Dragon Boat-themed POP-UP STORE. Visitors are welcome to visit the spots until 2 July to dip into the festivity of the city’s mega event.