Sounds of ferocious drumming and cheering crowds filled the air as dragon boats made waves in Hong Kong on Monday (June 10) while the city celebrated the annual dragon boat festival.

Hundreds of paddlers made a splash on the waters of Aberdeen Harbour, where a total of 29 races, marking the largest-scale event of its kind in the city, took place. Simultaneously, competitions unfolded in various districts across Hong Kong.

While dragon boat racing originated in China’s southern Lingnan region over 1,000 years ago, the modern version found its roots in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, approximately 40 years ago.

The festival’s origins trace back to the tragic suicide of the beloved Chinese poet and aristocrat, Qu Yuan, who chose to end his life by drowning himself in a river. In a bid to prevent fishes from consuming his body, locals threw steamed rice dumplings into the river and paddled vigorously downstream. This tradition evolved into the annual customs of eating steamed rice dumplings and engaging in dragon boat racing.

(REUTERS)