'Dragon boat water' splashes around in Hong Kong

Source: China Daily Asia

HONG KONG - The annual Duanwu Festival, also known as Dragon Boat Festival, returned on Monday, bringing festive moods across Hong Kong.

Dragon boat races or parades are one of the highlights during the festival, which is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar to commemorate ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

People make splashes with their paddles on dragon boats. As the boats draw closer to a finish line, the cheers, drumbeats and splashes grow louder through the air. Everyone splashes one another with the "dragon boat water" in hopes of bringing both coolness and good luck.

In a dragon boat race in Aberdeen, there were long boats with 48 paddlers and shorter boats with mixed crews.

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Eating zongzi - glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves - is also part of the festive rituals to enjoy the culinary appeal and cultural tradition.

China Daily photographer Edmond Tang took the photos of the exciting race in Aberdeen.