Dragon

Qu Yuan had a rather difficult life, but he left a tremendous legacy. This super-patriotic court minister fell out of favor with the king, who banished him from his home state of Chu. Yuan then wandered the earth, writing poetry in praise of his beloved homeland until one day in 278 BC, when he heard that Chu had been conquered by the Qin Dynasty. In despair, he jumped into the Miluo River in Hunan Province and drown, as local fisherman rowed boats into the water and threw rice dumplings at his body to save it from hungry fish. Yuan’s death was the birth of dragon boat racing, which takes place each year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar year around the world. Rice dumplings are served all day, and after the races, it is customary to observe outdoor theater, traditional Chinese dance performances, martial arts, and other cultural demonstrations.

This Saturday, the 24th annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York will kick off in Flushing Meadows Corona Park with a parade at noon. Then, more than 2,000 participants — organized into over 170 teams — will compete in various race categories in Meadow Lake over the weekend. As it is the 75th and 50th anniversaries of the two Queens World’s Fairs, there will be a municipal invitational race featuring teams from the offices of Mayor Bill De Blasio, Borough President Melinda Katz, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Assemblyman Ron Kim. Visitors will also be able to enjoy martial arts by the Shaolin Monks and West Indian music by the CASYM Steel Orchestra, as well as traditional Asian folk arts and crafts and a diverse food court. 

Details and photos after the jump.

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Details: Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, Meadow Lake, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, August 9th and August 10th, 10:30 am to 5 pm each day, free.

Top photo: NYC Parks; other photos: HKDBFestival-NY


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