--- SEARCH ---
WEATHER
CHINA
INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS
CULTURE
GOVERNMENT
SCI-TECH
ENVIRONMENT
SPORTS
LIFE
PEOPLE
TRAVEL
WEEKLY REVIEW
Chinese Women
Film in China
War on Poverty
Learning Chinese
Learn to Cook Chinese Dishes
Exchange Rates
Hotel Service
China Calendar


Hot Links
China Development Gateway
Chinese Embassies
Dragon Boat Championships to Go ahead in HK
The annual traditional dragon boat championships will go ahead as scheduled on June 4, the date of traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong, where daily life has been affected by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak since March 12.

At present, a total of 120 teams are registered, according to the organizer, the Stanley Residents Association, who has confirmed that the event would proceed as scheduled for the 36th consecutive year.

Over the past two years, the Stanley Dragon Boat Championships has attracted more than 140 participating teams, making it one of the premier local dragon boat regattas and one of the world's largest events of its kind.

"In light of the lessening SARS infection rates, we are confident that the event is safe to be held and welcome all of our participating teams and spectators," said Alson Wong, chairman of the Stanley Residents Association.

Dragon Boat Festival has been a long traditional holiday in memory of Qu Yuan, a great poet died in 278 BC in central China. He committed suicide by jumping into a river in a protest to then corrupted government officials. It was said that many dragon boats were used to rescue Qu Yuan after local people heard the news.

After format changes to bring the race in line with international standards and continuing growth in participation over the past years, the Stanley Dragon Boat Championships has now been recognized by the International Dragon Boat Federation and is prominently featured on the federation's international events calendar.

Last year's Stanley Cup Championships runners-up British Dragons have geared up themselves for the forthcoming event while the American Women's Association, winner of last year's ladies competition will defend the title against the challenge of second-placed Bondi Diggettes.

The origins of the dragon boating in Stanley go back as far as the 1800s. Originally a small fishing village, many of the local Chinese in Stanley relied on the sea for their livelihood, so it was only natural that dragon boat racing became a popular way to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

In the late 1960's the local races aroused the interest of several expatriates living in the area and these expatriates joined in the racing against the local Chinese in the early 1970's.

The Stanley Dragon Boat Championships has earned local and international reputation as it was featured in local magazines and widely covered by CNN, BBC, and news and lifestyle media from Japan and Spain.

(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2003)

Macao Hosts International Dragon-boat Race
HK's Dragon Boats Join Chinese New Year Celebrations in Sydney
人民日报
中央电视台
中国新闻社
中国林业科研网
中国林业科学研究院
林业局科技司
中国环境保护网
中国生态研究网
中国商务
环境与发展信息网
外交部
中国绿色时报
荒漠化信息网
中国留学信息网
联合国防治荒漠化公约秘书处
国家留学基金委员会
联合国气候变化框架协定
公安部
中国驻美大使馆教育处
生物多样性协定
中国社会科学院
北京大学
国务院发展研究中心
国土资源部
中国人民银行
国家外汇管理局
农业部
财政部
劳动和社会保障部
国家发展计划委员会
Print This Page
|
" class="tt" target="_blank">Email This Page
About Us SiteMap Feedback
Copyright © China Internet Information Center. All Rights Reserved
E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-88828000
" target="_blank">