Tuen Ng festivities race off to a roaring start
Tuen Ng festivities race off to a roaring start
Paddlers battle for glory in a dragon boat race in Sha Tin. Photo: RTHK
Revellers erupted in cheers in tandem with the thunderous beat of drums and rhythmic slap of paddles across the city's waterways as dragon boat races ushered in early Tuen Ng Festival celebrations on Saturday with the traditional air of energy and excitement.
The Observatory forecasted mainly overcast skies and one or two showers but that didn't dampen the paddlers' passion one drop.
'Are we confident about winning? Yes!," said a race participant in Stanley.
"I am not worried about the rain," he said.
"That's usual at Tuen Ng Festivals.
"It's good for us to experience the 'Dragon Boat Water'.'
Another group of paddlers said they had been practicing twice or thrice a week since December in the hope of winning their event.
A woman brought her daughter back from the United States specially to watch the races.
'We are so excited because this is our first time, the first time seeing so many boats and so many people,' she said.
Crowds also flocked to Tai O and Sha Tin for races, with Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho spotted among the throngs inundating the banks of Shing Mun River.
In a Facebook post, Chief Executive John Lee sent his wishes for safety, health and good fortune to people in inviting everyone to watch the dragon boat races to experience the festive Tuen Ng atmosphere.
More dragon boat racing action is coming next week, with the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races set to be held at Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade.
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RTHK
3 days ago
- RTHK
Tuen Ng festivities race off to a roaring start
Tuen Ng festivities race off to a roaring start Paddlers battle for glory in a dragon boat race in Sha Tin. Photo: RTHK Revellers erupted in cheers in tandem with the thunderous beat of drums and rhythmic slap of paddles across the city's waterways as dragon boat races ushered in early Tuen Ng Festival celebrations on Saturday with the traditional air of energy and excitement. The Observatory forecasted mainly overcast skies and one or two showers but that didn't dampen the paddlers' passion one drop. 'Are we confident about winning? Yes!," said a race participant in Stanley. "I am not worried about the rain," he said. "That's usual at Tuen Ng Festivals. "It's good for us to experience the 'Dragon Boat Water'.' Another group of paddlers said they had been practicing twice or thrice a week since December in the hope of winning their event. A woman brought her daughter back from the United States specially to watch the races. 'We are so excited because this is our first time, the first time seeing so many boats and so many people,' she said. Crowds also flocked to Tai O and Sha Tin for races, with Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho spotted among the throngs inundating the banks of Shing Mun River. In a Facebook post, Chief Executive John Lee sent his wishes for safety, health and good fortune to people in inviting everyone to watch the dragon boat races to experience the festive Tuen Ng atmosphere. More dragon boat racing action is coming next week, with the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races set to be held at Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
High spirits as Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival kicks off amid strong winds
Hong Kong dragon boat racers are in high spirits for Tuen Ng Festival, despite strong winds, with tourism authorities expecting a 14 per cent increase in mainland Chinese visitors compared with previous weekends. A tourism spot, where the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championship is taking place, was packed with racing teams and residents on Saturday morning. 'The weather today is a little windy, which may affect our performance,' said Alan Chan, team captain of the West Kowloon Cultural District's Dragon Boat team. 'Given the wind, there could be big waves when we go out to the sea later, which would affect our results. The waves were not that big when we practised. We will do our best.' The team, joining the competition at Stanley Main Beach for the first time, said they had completed seven two-hour lessons to prepare for the event. While some may view the weather as an obstacle, others believe it can give them a boost.
RTHK
5 days ago
- RTHK
Manchester United set to amaze Hong Kong fans
Manchester United set to amaze Hong Kong fans Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim (right) says he will try to bring out star players to impress local fans. Photo: RTHK The head coach of Hong Kong, China, Ashley Westwood (right) says everyone on the team will get minutes. Photo: RTHK Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on Thursday said he hopes his side can put on an exciting performance for local fans during their upcoming friendly against Team Hong Kong, China. The friendly will be held at Hong Kong Stadium at 8pm on Friday. The Red Devils are on the second leg of their postseason Asian tour, after suffering a disappointing 1-0 loss against the Asean All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. Key players like goalkeeper Andre Onana, defender Harry Maguire, and right back Diogo Dalot also missed out on the Hong Kong stop, as they are committed to another event in India. At a press briefing, the United manager said he will try to bring out all star players if possible to impress the fans. 'If the players are available, I'm going to put the players to play. I will try to divide because I don't want all the young kids all together. I will try to mix these things. We want to be competitive,' he said. 'I don't know which part they are going to play, if they are playing together. For example, [Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho] in the last game played second half together. So I'm trying to balance the team, but if they are fit, they will play. And we will have the maximum respect for everybody here.' Amorim also joked about the weather in Hong Kong, which has seen heavy downpours on Thursday, saying the players are happy that the weather is just like it is in Manchester. Meanwhile, the head coach of Hong Kong, China, Ashley Westwood, said he hopes the SAR team can leave football fans around the globe with the impression that football in the SAR is organised and professional. But the SAR coach also said he would remind players not to get carried away and risk injury. 'We're not there to go and scalp anyone or go after people. We're just there to enjoy the game of football, play a nice relaxed game and treat it as what it is. And that's an exhibition game,' he said. 'It's like I say, it's kind of a training session for us in our window. We're not going hammering tongs and breaking boundaries and smashing into tackles and being stupid.' 'We're just going there for the lads to enjoy themselves and enhance the occasion and hopefully, be part of a good occasion for the fans and that's what it is.' The SAR coach also said that every player on the team would get some minutes on the pitch. Team Hong Kong, China will be playing their first ever home game at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium for their next Asia Cup qualifier match against India on June 10, with tickets for the match almost all snapped up. Westwood said the team is looking forward to playing in front of a large crowd, which he said would give them an advantage. 'I've played football in front of big crowds, the players have played football in front of big crowds and that only brings the best out of you,' he said. The SAR team will have one more friendly game following their clash against Manchester United before facing India.
