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.