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Following the annual reception held in Bern, Switzerland in June in celebration of the 16th anniversary of the establishment of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) sponsored the dragon boat race, a popular event in the three-day Zurich Festival 2013, the biggest festival held every three years in the city.
The race was held during July 6 to 7 on the River Limmat in the city centre, with 36 teams participating. At the award presentation ceremony, Director of HKETO Berlin, Mr Ivan Lee presented trophies to the winning teams. In his welcome remarks, he introduced the origin of the dragon boat race, the festivities in Hong Kong, and that the annual Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races has become a highlight event attracting many overseas tourists.
The dragon boat race has its origins dating back some two thousand years ago. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Tuen Ng Festival, commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese national hero who drowned himself in the Miluo River in protest against corrupt rulers. Townspeople beat drums and threw glutinous rice dumplings into the water to scare away fish and shrimps from eating Qu's body. Such act has developed into races of boats in the shape of dragon.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a public holiday in Hong Kong (the actual date differs each year according to the Chinese calendar, it will fall on June 2 in 2014). The real highlight of the festival is the fierce-looking dragon boats racing in a lively, vibrant spectacle in different districts in Hong Kong. Teams race the elaborately decorated dragon boats to the beat of heavy drums.
First started in 1976, the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races have sparked an explosion of worldwide interest in dragon boat racing and transformed this ancient Chinese folk ritual into a modern international sport. Thousands of the world's top dragon boat athletes battle it out for trophies in June every year - intense racing that fills the city's iconic harbour with heart-stopping action, a profusion of colour and the sounds of drummers and fans urging paddlers on to the finish line. There is fun on dry land too with BeerFest, where athletes and spectators enjoy non-stop music, live entertainment and ice-cold beer. At the same time, roving performers keep the harbour-side crowds entertained. This year's Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival was successfully held during June 21 to 23. The exact date for the 2014 event will be confirmed later.
Ends/Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Issued at HKT 01:44
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