A thunderous boom of beating drums and splashing waves will take over Hong Kong's iconic Central Harbourfront and Victoria Harbour from 22 to 24 June 2018, with three days of festivities to celebrate the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) in conjunction with the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association (HKCDBA), will welcome more than 160 teams from around the globe for the ninth festival to be held in Asia's cosmopolitan hub, Hong Kong. 

Australian and New Zealand team's competing include:

• Jumbucks, from Geelong, Victoria
• Lion Dragon Boat Club, from Auckland, New Zealand
• Maroochy Sea Serpents, from Sunshine Coast, Queensland
• Melbourne Flames, from Melbourne, Victoria
• Swaggies, from Port Macquarie, New South Wales
• Sydney Tsunami Dragon Boat Team, Sydney, News South Wales

Interviews with teams are available upon request.

Highlights for the 2018 event include:

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival
• The CCB (Asia) Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races are a main highlight of the carnival and admission is free
• More than 4,500 international athletes will compete, including teams from: Australia, New Zealand, France, United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Israel, India, Taiwan, Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong
• A new addition for this year, teams from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area will compete for “Greater Bay Area Trophy”
• A favourite is the “Fancy Dress Competition”, where paddlers compete in creative and eye-catching outfits
• Onshore entertainment includes a mega party at the Central Harbourfront, featuring an artificial sand beach, allowing spectators to soak up the excitement with sand between their toes
• Live music performances will take the festivities into the evening, whilst food trucks will serve local delicacies and refreshments
• Additional dragon boat races will be staged in various districts throughout Hong Kong, including Stanley, Tai Po, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Sai Kung and Aberdeen, further extending the festive ambience beyond the city

Traditional Delicacies
• Rice dumplings called, Zongzi (as pictured above), are a traditional delicacy synonymous with the festival and a must-try
• The traditional method of making rice dumplings involves a sophisticated process of boiling bamboo leaves, pre-soaking glutinous rice, slicing and seasoning pork belly, wrapping and string-tying, and finally steaming the dumplings. Salty and sweet variations are available
• Traditional restaurants in Hong Kong still serve this traditional delicacy, including Ka Woo, a 70-year old Shanghainese restaurant located in Nam Shan Estate in Sham Shui Po, which is well-known for its hand-made dumplings

With the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival and a series of other celebrations taking place, June is a great time for visitors to get an insight into the diverse cultural and local festivities of Hong Kong.

For more information visit www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/events-festivals/highlight-events/dragon-boat-carnival.jsp

ENDS

Images can be downloaded from HERE.

For more information contact the Hong Kong Tourism Board (Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific) press office:

Natalie Brown - natalie.brown@hktb.com/ 02 8262 6810
Jessica Rowden - jessica.rowden@hktb.com / 02 8262 6804