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)
