Last Day of Dragon Boat

With the weather so nice, it's the perfect opportunity to head to Flushing today to check out the final day of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York. Today's races have already started, but the event lasts until 6 p.m., with the last race scheduled for 5:09 (it will undoubtedly be running late). If watching various teams compete in dragon boats from the shores of Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, there will also be a dumpling eating contest at noon today.

Dragon boat festivals commemorate the suicide of Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who committed suicide to protest corruption in the government. Legend has it that once people learned about his suicide, they rushed to the poet in their fishing boats in an attempt to rescue him.

For more information, head over to the HKDBF website which includes an event schedule, race schedule (PDF file), history of the race, and directions.

Photo by Harris Graber on flickr

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By tien mao on August 13, 2006 11:08 AM

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Bee tee here

This coming from the Long Island crowd.

Got into any hit and runs, lately?

Gary

Legend also has it that people threw zong zi (sweet sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves in a triangular shape) in the lake to feed the fish so they wouldn't eat his body.