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Dragon boat races in celebration of 20th anniversary of HKSAR held in Switzerland (with photos)
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     The 26th dragon boat races in Eglisau, supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin), were held on June 24 and 25 (Eglisau time) on the Rhine River in Switzerland, with 72 teams and 1 500 athletes participating.
      
     The dragon boat races were organised by dragonboatevents.ch GmbH in collaboration with the Drachenboot-Club Eglisau. The event was part of a series of activities in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Apart from the races, the event also featured a colourful bouquet of cultural and culinary entertainment, welcoming some 5 000 visitors. The dragon boat races are the oldest annual dragon boat races in Europe, and the largest competition of its kind held annually in Switzerland.
      
     At the award ceremony on June 24 (Eglisau time), the Deputy Director of HKETO Berlin, Miss Alison Lo, presented trophies to the winning teams. The Office also hosted a booth to promote Hong Kong to visitors and athletes.
      
     Dragon boat races have a long tradition in Hong Kong. As Asia's world city where East meets West, Hong Kong has celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, by hosting the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races since 1976. Nowadays, the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival attracts not only the world's best dragon boat racers to the international competition in the Asian metropolis, but also thousands of spectators who watch the boats speeding across the water in Victoria Harbour. This year, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival was held from June 2 to 4. Over 5 000 athletes in 200 teams from 11 countries competed against one another.  
      
     To promote Hong Kong-style Chinese cuisine and Hong Kong as a versatile food paradise, HKETO Berlin, in co-operation with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Geneva, will host a gala dinner in Geneva in Switzerland on June 30 (Geneva time).
      
     HKETO Berlin will also team up with the 13th Zurich Film Festival from September 28 to October 8 to present four to six Hong Kong productions in the "Window to the World" section of the festival.
      
About HKETO Berlin
      
     HKETO Berlin is the official HKSAR Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Switzerland as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
 
Ends/Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Issued at HKT 19:00
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Photo

The 26th dragon boat races in Eglisau, Switzerland, were held on June 24 and 25 (Eglisau time). Photo shows the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin, Miss Alison Lo (front left), with one of the winning teams.
The 26th dragon boat races in Eglisau, Switzerland, were held on June 24 and 25 (Eglisau time).