The Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will once again be held at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade. This year’s edition of the landmark event will be held on June 15 and 16, and will have 170 teams from 12 countries, making it a total of 4,000 participating dragon boat athletes. In addition to teams from Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong, there will be teams from Singapore, Japan, the UAE, Thailand, and many more countries and regions.
The two-day event will be held along Victoria Harbour and will feature action-packed races. Competitions like the Greater Bay Area Championship and the 18 Districts Trophy will return, along with the highly anticipated Fancy Dress Competition that will see teams dressing up as different characters as they race. The PRC 75th Anniversary Celebration Trophy race will be held on the second day of the event, which will include three races: the International Open Grand Championship, the International Mixed Grand Championship, and the International Women’s Grand Championship.
Popular characters from LINE FRIENDS will be at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui in the form of photo-friendly installations dressed up as dragon boat athletes. Fans of the popular sticker pals can also get their hands on Hong Kong-only merchandise at a time-limited pop-up store on the promenade. Spectators can head to food and beverage stalls at the Summer Chill Food Lane on the Avenue of Stars from June 8-16, where they can buy creative drinks and snacks, such as craft beer, bottled milk tea, cold brew coffee, coconut desserts, and doughnuts.
If you can’t make it to Tsim Sha Tsui, you can catch live broadcasts of the semi-finals, finals, and award ceremonies on RTHK TV32. The government is upping the ante with its Dragon Boat Festival celebrations by organising a drone show on June 10, followed by a fireworks display on June 15 at the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade.
Image credits: Hong Kong Tourism Board
