Dragon Boat competition in Hong Kong to draw 4,500 athletes from 12 countries
The event will be the largest one yet since Covid-19 affected the city, although it remains significantly smaller than pre-pandemic levels.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board said on Tuesday that the 2025 edition of the 'Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races' would take place from June 7 to 8.
Participants representing 190 teams from 12 countries would take part in 19 races, including local and mainland Chinese groups as well as those from the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, the tourism board added.
The games will also welcome participants from Qatar and Egypt for the first time.
'We have taken innovation to new heights this year by transforming the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races into an immersive day-and-night dragon boat carnival,' said Tourism Board Executive Director Dane Cheng Ting-yat.
'The event offers visitors and locals a blend of cultural activities and celebrations steeped in Hong Kong's east-meets-west heritage, enriching the city's potential for mega-event tourism.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
EU to curb AI chip flows to China as part of US trade deal
Newly published details of the recent EU-US trade deal show the bloc cleaving closer to Washington on technology, security and commerce, potentially driving a new wedge into Europe's relationship with China. A joint statement released on Thursday confirmed that the European Union will accept tariffs of 15 per cent on 70 per cent of its exports to the US, as agreed in July. It will also consider exempting American goods from some of its sweeping climate laws, even as it moves to lower tariffs on American products, including industrial goods. While China is not mentioned once in a 19-point joint statement released on Thursday – billed by Brussels as a 'framework' towards a more comprehensive trade agreement – veiled references appeared throughout. It said the European Union would buy US$40 billion of AI chips from the US, and that it would 'adopt' US security standards to 'avoid technology leakage to destinations of concern', a euphemistic term often used to refer to China. While the US has rescinded a Biden-era order limiting which EU member states could buy US AI chips, the statement shows that it still expects to control where they ultimately go. 10:31 The Europe-China trade relationship: deficits, disputes and de-risking The Europe-China trade relationship: deficits, disputes and de-risking At a press conference in Brussels, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the bloc had committed to ensuring the semiconductors do not 'fall into the wrong hands'.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong customs seizes 278 million cigarettes in tobacco smuggling crackdown
Hong Kong customs seized 278 million illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of HK$1.25 billion (US$160.3 million) in more than 80 cases in the first half of the year as part of a cross-regional tobacco smuggling crackdown. The Customs and Excise Department said on Thursday that it had strengthened cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region to curb the inflow of illicit cigarettes since November last year. The 278 million contraband cigarettes seized in 84 large-scale cases during the first half were estimated to be worth about HK$1.25 billion, with a duty potential of around HK$920 million, customs added. Around 49 million cigarettes were uncovered in four large-scale cases involving fishing boats under a joint surveillance operation with mainland Chinese authorities targeting maritime tobacco smuggling syndicates earlier this year. Lam Chak-lun, acting deputy head of the customs revenue crimes investigation bureau, said that smugglers had shifted from using traditional cargo ships and speedboats to less conspicuous fishing vessels. Each of these vessels, often disguised with fishing gear and operating among other fishing boats, could carry up to 10 million cigarettes – equivalent to the capacity of a 40-foot container, he said. Between March and July, Hong Kong and Singapore customs also conducted a joint operation that intercepted 107 million illicit cigarettes hidden in 33 shipping containers arriving from the city state in multiple seaborne smuggling cases.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Kuaishou to pay first dividend since Hong Kong IPO as AI tools lift quarterly results
Advertisement The Beijing -based company said it would pay a special dividend of HK$0.46 per share after reporting better-than-expected financial results in the second quarter, driven by gains made from its artificial intelligence tools, according to its filing. Dividend payments to shareholders will be made on October 6. Second-quarter revenue rose 13.1 per cent to 35 billion yuan (US$4.87 billion), up from 31 billion yuan a year earlier. Profit attributable to equity holders was 4.9 billion yuan, compared to about 4 billion yuan a year ago. First-half revenue increased 12 per cent to 67.7 billion yuan, up from 60.4 billion yuan a year earlier. Profit reached 8.9 billion yuan, compared to 8.1 billion yuan a year ago. Kuaishou's shares closed down 0.21 per cent to HK$71.75 on Thursday, ahead of the earnings announcement. Its stock has gained nearly 80 per cent this year, but remains below its peak of nearly HK$400 in early 2021. Advertisement The declaration and payment of special dividends reflects not only Kuaishou's confidence in its long-term growth prospects, but also how AI innovation is expected to help drive growth at its main business segments. 'Quite a steady growth wouldn't have been possible without the trust and support of our shareholders,' chairman and CEO Cheng Yixiao said at Thursday's post-earnings call with analysts. 'We will consider measures, such as share repurchases and dividend payments, to reward our shareholders.'
