Muscles flex to the sound of a drumbeat that synchronizes efforts. Teams of up to 20 crewmen (18 paddlers, a drummer and a steerer) cram into a narrow boat up to 40 feet long. The Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office remains a sponsor, along with HSBC, Shanghai Commercial Bank, Bank of China, Flushing Bank, New York Community Bank, Resorts World, Con Edison, Cathay Pacific, JPMorgan Chase, Maspeth Federal Savings, National Grid, Long Island Jewish Forest Hills -Northwell Health, AARP, New York Presbyterian Queens, Vita Coco and Forbes.īeyond the cultural connections to the land of their ancestors, paddlers say they enjoy the intensity of the bonding that goes into the manning of the boats. The Hong Kong government hosted the festival before it converted to a 501 (c)(3) non-profit named Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York Inc. These are also traits shared by Hong Kongers and New Yorkers alike,” said Candy Nip, director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York, by email. “Vigor, stamina, sportsmanship, team spirit, harmony are some of the characteristics associated with dragon boat racing. They went back and found that the dragon boat racing attracted the most expats, recalled Wan, one of the event’s first founders in New York. “It's very difficult to find something that will stand out in New York City. When the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in New York started the dragon boat event in 1991, it looked to Hong Kong itself to see what cultural events attracted the interest of expat Americans in the then British colony. The races are one of China’s most popular sports and celebrated with a national holiday in May or June. According to lore, sympathetic locals boarded boats, pounded on drums and paddled noisily in the local river to spare Qu from being eaten by fish and water dragons. Poet-politician Qu Yuan, disappointed with local corruption, drowned himself in the third century B.C. HSBCĭragon boat racing traces its colorful history to a spirit of idealism. "Teammates become your family and support each other both in and outside the boat," she says. Lee is a long-time paddler and member of the HSBC team in this year's Hong.
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