New York Dragon Boat Festival All Set to Go

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Melissa Ng /David Hsieh at 212-752-3320
Daniel McAtee at 202-238-6360
Wing Yan Tong at 415-835-9315

July 23, 2009 - The dragon boat festival, a Chinese tradition with more than 2,000-year history, is today a fixture in the summer sporting calendar of New York City, attracting dragon boat racers and spectators from all walks of life.

A “Dragon Boat Awakening Ceremony” press event, attended by major news media organizations, including international news agencies, was held at New York City’s Central Park today (July 23, New York time) to kick off this year’s 19th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York.

First introduced by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (HKETONY) to New Yorkers in 1991, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York has now grown into one of the largest multi-cultural and sporting festivals in the United States.

Speaking at today’s ceremony, Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (HKETONY), Miss Monica Chen noted that while dragon boat race is an ancient Chinese tradition, it is in Hong Kong that the race has been elevated into an international event.

The Hong Kong championship attracts over 140 teams from all over the world every year and is watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators,” said Miss Chen. “It is another example of Hong Kong’s know-how to draw on its unique advantage of East meets West to create something extraordinary.”

Joining Miss Chen at the ceremony were New York City Parks Commissioner, Mr. Adrian Benepe, Chairman of the Host Committee of the 2009 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, Mr. Henry Wan, and other dignitaries.

The “awakening ceremony” featured a blessing ceremony by Buddhist monks to bless the dragon boats and bring prosperity and good fortune to New York City, followed by the “eye-dotting” of the dragon boats. There were also martial arts demonstrations by Shaolin martial artists during today’s awakening ceremony.

The 19th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, will be held August 8 and 9 at Meadows Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, will see more than 150 dragon boat racing teams from across North America taking part in the festival. More than 50,000 spectators are also expected at the two-day event.

The HKETONY is the principal festival benefactor for this year’s Festival. Every year, the HKETONY has a booth at the festival. This year, the HKETONY booth will feature snapshots of Hong Kong to update visitors on Hong Kong’s latest developments. Brand Hong Kong souvenirs will also be given to those attending the festival.