The annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, coming to Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens on Aug. 3 and 4, kicked off its festivities with the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Awakening Ceremony in Times Square on July 11.
Festivities included a performance by the New York Shaolin Temple Kung Fu Center members, who showcased their acrobatic martial arts skills in the “Crossroads of the World” for dignitaries and guests.
In a special ceremony, Buddhist Monk Shi Hong Sheng performed the traditional awakening blessing of two large race boats, colorfully decorated with a hand-painted dragon head at the front and tail at the rear. The ritual is supposed to bring prosperity and good fortune to everyone involved in this year’s Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, which celebrates the Year of the Dragon. For some extra good luck, dignitaries and guests concluded the event by dotting the eyes of the dragons with red paint.
Henry Wan, chairman of the NY Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, told QNS that the multicultural event, which is in its 34th year, was about bringing people together.
“We are a unique Asian heritage community and sporting event and multicultural celebration,” Wan said. “We try to serve the community as much as we can. [The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival] is a very unique event, and we certainly have been able to attract a lot of people to Queens, and we are very happy to do so.”
Since its inception in 1991, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival has grown into one of the largest dragon boat festivals in the country. This year, 2000+ athletes will compete in 200 boats racing across New York City’s largest fishable freshwater body.
The free, family-friendly festival, which draws thousands of visitors every year, also features music, dance performances and arts and crafts. This year, for the first time, the festival is hosting a Hong Kong street food court, where visitors can sample a variety of dishes, ranging from rice dumplings and fish meat shumai to buttered mini pineapple buns.
Because parking is limited, organizers are urging event attendees to leave their cars at home and opt to take the 7 train to the Mets-Willits Point station. MTA shuttle buses will operate between the subway station and the Flushing Meadows Park festival site from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
