HK Dragon Boat Teams Out In Full Force As Tuen Ng Festival Draws Near

The Tuen Ng Festival (also known as Rice Dumpling Festival) is fast approaching, but some in Hong Kong are watching their diets and building their stamina. That is because it is also the start of the season for one of the more competitive team sports in the city - dragon boat racing.


The sport is an ancient tradition born of myth and legend in China. Today, professional teams practice all year round, but some keep it less serious.

Team On & On, a group of friends who have known each other for years, has been practising since March in the run-up to the races. It is no secret that apart from stamina and form, the key factor in dragon boat racing is rhythm.

"As a team of more than 22 paddlers on board, we need to achieve a certain synchronisation, and this can only come with time," said Tina So, team leader of On & On Dragon Boat Team.

The paddlers in front set the pace, and the others follow. If the team is not synchronised, it creates an undesirable 'caterpillar-like effect' as seen from the shore.

This is team On-and-On's fifth year competing in the sport and they are hoping to improve on their minor haul of trophies.

This year's competition will be held at Deep Water Bay in Aberdeen. There are 50 teams competing in what could be described as a warm-up race for the main event scheduled on June 8.

The Deep Water Bay Regatta started back in 1999, and offers a challenging 500-metre race in various categories.

In the first leg of the race, team On-and-On managed to take third place. In the semi-finals, they managed to improve on their time by 7 seconds to come in fifth.

"We have achieved what we would like to, and the team is enjoying ourselves very much, sticking together and racing tough courses like these," said Team Leader So.

While Team On & On is not bound for glory anytime soon, there is certainly dedication to a much-loved sport that is gaining recognition the world over.