Dragon Boat Festival Race | Hong Kong 2021

See some actions at the boat race during the Dragon Boat Festival this year. Due to Covid-19, no official event is promoted to avoid crowds from gathering. But there are still some short and unofficial flash races held across the city. So I am glad to have caught the flash races held in Tseung Kwan O. The traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival (also known as Tuen Ng, Duanwu, Double Fifth, Dumpling Festival or Poet’s Day) is held on the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month. One legend connected to the Dragon Boat Festival concerns a famous Chinese patriot poet names Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was a minister who advocated reforms in his home state of Chu. He was loyal to the Chu Emperor who fell under the influence of other corrupt, jealous ministers who eventually managed to turn the king against him. Qu Yuan was banished from the State of Chu he loved and wrote passionate poetry expressing his concerns for its future. Struck by grief at the news that the State of Chu had been taken by the State of Qin in 278 BC, Qu Yuan grabbed a large rock and threw himself into the Mi Luo River. According to the legend, when news of his drowning became known, boats were launched by the local fishermen in a race to be first to recover Qu Yuan's body. Thus dragon boat racing was born. The furious splashing of paddles and banging of drums used these days to get the crews in time has it origin in the fishermen's bid to scare off fish and other river creatures from defiling his body.