Lonely Planet Asia - June 2016

EASY TRIPS

5

PHOTOGRAPH: SEE-MING LEE/FLICKR

Make a party out of an ancient

Chinese festival at the Dragon Boat

Carnival. Duan Wu Jie (䤑࣭䩂), or

Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated on

the fifth day of the fifth lunar

month, commemorates the death

of Chinese poet Qu Yuan in 278BC.

Qu killed himself by drowning in

the Miluo River and legend has it

that people who admired him raced

out in boats to save him or retrieve

his body. When Qu’s body could

not be found, his admirers dropped

rice dumplings into the river to

entice fish to eat the dumplings

instead of his body. These are said

to be the origins of dragon boat

races and zongzi (䯚ᗸ), pyramid-

shaped sticky rice dumplings that

are eaten during this festive period.

While the festival originated in

China, the Dragon Boat Festival is

now celebrated in many Asian

countries. Head over to Victoria

Harbour to catch one of the most

happening celebrations in Asia. At

the Dragon Boat Carnival, watch

as thousands of the world’s top

dragon boat rowers compete in

the CCB (Asia) Hong Kong

International Dragon Boat Races.

Now in its 40th year, follow the

beat of the drum and cheer on

your favourite teams over three

days of intense competition.

In between races, join athletes

and other race spectators in a wind

down at the San Miguel BeerFest.

Situated right next to the racing

action, the festival will have

pumping live music performances,

spaces to dance, and many jugs of

MAKE IT HAPPEN

This year’s Dragon Boat Carnival

takes place over the weekend of 10

to 12 June 2016. There are

activities all around Hong Kong

but the main races are at Victoria

Harbour. The San Miguel BeerFest

is also held in the same area.

Admission to either event is free.

Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s

flag carrier, flies from most

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival

International teams

push themselves to

the limit at one of

the world’s biggest

dragon boat races

incomplete without zongzi. Hotels

all over Hong Kong will be selling

their own version of zongzi and

some of the best can be sampled at

Lung King Heen, the three-Michelin

star restaurant at the Four Seasons

Hotel Hong Kong.

frosty cold beer. Families with

young children can join in the fun

with the new Family Zone that will

feature loads of games and

interactive activities, rides, and

other carnival necessities. The

Dragon Boat Festival will be

international airports worldwide

directly into Hong Kong

International Airport

(cathaypacific.com).

For the best views of the race,

stay at Four Seasons Hotel Hong

Kong that faces Victoria Harbour

(from US$493 per night for a

Harbour View Room; fourseasons.

com/hongkong).