What To Know About The Dragon Boat Festival In Hong Kong

Row row row your boat! No doubt you’ve heard of Dragon Boat Festival, may have joined the celebrations and even cheered on the races, but how much do you know about its roots and traditions?

For some, it’s about the adrenaline rush of watching the races, for others it’s participating in the race and joining the festivities, and for the rest, it’s just another day off in Hong Kong. This year, the Dragon Boat Festival falls on Saturday, 31 May but there’s more to this holiday than a race that draws the crowds. Read on to uncover its origins, the deeper meaning behind the Dragon Boat race, customs, traditions and more. 

Jump To:
The Origins Of The Dragon Boat Festival
Why A Dragon Boat?
Dragon Boat Festivities To Know
Where To Watch The Dragon Boat Race In Hong Kong 2025
Where To Get Traditional Rice Dumplings In Hong Kong 2025

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The Origins Of The Dragon Boat Festival

While the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in Hong Kong, Mainland China and across Southeast Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia too), its originated in Ancient China during the Zhou dynasty (1050 – 221 BCE).

The story revolves around a poet named Qu Yuan from the Chu kingdom, who served as a high-ranking official for the royal household. The ruler of the Chu Kingdom wished to form an alliance with the Qin kingdom (believed to have had a corrupt system), a decision that Qu Yuan opposed. He was then accused of treason and exiled by the king.

28 years later, the Qin kingdom eventually overthrew the Chu kingdom, leading a despaired Qu Yuan to ending his life by drowning in the Miluo River. As a respected figure in the Chu kingdom, his followers rushed in their boats to save him but could not locate his body. They consequently began dropping balls of glutinous rice into the river so the fish would eat the rice balls instead of Qu Yuan’s body. They also banged gongs and drums to scare the fish away. This act of mourning and respect for the loyal poet marked the beginning of the Dragon Boat Festival tradition.

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Why A Dragon Boat?

The dragon holds significant symbolic meaning in Chinese culture as the only mythical creature among the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. It’s associated with royalty and believed to be the ruler of the water element. The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar (a month that’s considered inauspicious), with worshippers seeking the creature to ward off evil spirits and bad luck during this time.

The boat’s dragon head is also symbolic of the belief that the vessel will awaken the dragon from its slumber. By adorning the boats with a dragon’s head, it is believed that the powerful creature will be summoned and bestow its protective grace upon the participants and spectators of the festival.

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Dragon Boat Festivities To Know

Dragon Boat Races

Pre-pandemic, almost 30,000 dragon boat racers from around the world came to Hong Kong to compete, garnering a large cheering crowd. After the race, a Dragon Boat Carnival would be held along the Victoria Harbour promenade. The prominent dragon boat races and teams in Hong Kong include the Stanley Dragon Boat Championships, the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.

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Rice Dumplings

To commemorate Qu Yuan, traditional sticky rice dumplings, known as zong in Cantonese and zongzi in Mandarin, are widely consumed. These pyramid-shaped dumplings are stuffed with either sweet or savoury ingredients (depending on the region you’re from) and are wrapped in bamboo leaves and tied together using string.

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Where To Watch The Dragon Boat Race In Hong Kong 2025

This year’s Dragon Boat Festival will see most Dragon Boat races taking place on Saturday, 31 May. Plan your day trip accordingly to catch the races in Hong Kong this year:

• Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race
  When & where: 8am to 4pm at Aberdeen Promenade/Aberdeen West Typhoon Shelter.
• Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships
  When & where: 8am to 5pm at Stanley Main Beach.
• Sai Kung Tuen Ng Festival
  When & where: 8am to 1:30pm at Sai Kung Waterfront and Promenade.
• Sha Tin Dragon Boat Race
  When & where: 8am to 1pm at Shing Mun River (Banyan Bridge-Sha Yin Bridge).
• Tai Po Dragon Boat Race
  When & where: 8:30am to 1pm at Tai Po Waterfront Park Promenade
• Tuen Mun Dragon Boat Race
  When & where: 9am to 2pm at Castle Peak Bay Typhoon Shelter, Area 44, Tuen Mun.

There are also other dragon boat races on different dates should you be unable to attend the main event:

• Eastern District Dragon Boat Race
  When & where: Sunday, 25 May, 2025; 8am to 5pm at Chai Wan, Cargo Handling Area, Chai Wan Waterfront.
• Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races
  When & where: Saturday, 7 June, 2025 to Sunday 8 June, 2025; 8am to 7pm at Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade.
• Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade & Dragon Boat Races
  When & where: Friday, 30 May, 2025 to Saturday, 31 May 2025, 2025; 7am to 2pm at Tai O Creek and Pier and Tai O Promenade.

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Where To Get Traditional Rice Dumplings In Hong Kong 2025

A number of Hong Kong hotels and restaurants are offering traditional rice dumplings to mark this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, each with a variety of fillings.

• Hopewell Inn – Three high-quality rice dumplings are on offer this year: Abalone and conpoy, Five-spiced pork and Morel mushrooms. www.hopewellhotel.com
• Man Ho at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong – Indulge in classic festive gift sets including dried abalone glutinous rice dumplings, red bean and pork glutinous rice dumplings and Hokkien glutinous rice dumplings. jwmarriotthkoffers.com
• The Ritz-Carlton – Choose between deluxe rice dumplings with abalone or a premium sweet rice dumpling set (or get them both!), all housed in a beautiful lotus-inspired gift box. www.ritzcarltonhkshop.com
• Lung King Heen at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong – Enjoy a selection of glutinous rice dumplings with ingredients such as pork belly, conpoy, salted egg yolk and spicy toona sauce (paired with Fuding cold dew white tea). shopfourseasonshk.com
• Spring Moon at The Peninsula Hong Kong – Not only can you dive into premium and deluxe rice dumplings as well as a “Golden Twins” set, you can also opt for a gift set that comes with The Peninsula’s famed XO chilli sauce. eshopphk.peninsula.com
• Golden Leaf at Conrad Hong Kong – Get 20% off its bundle featuring Chef Tony Wan’s handcrafted Deluxe Rice Dumpling with conpoy and a set of three mini rice dumplings with lotus seed paste. eshop.conraddining.com

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Editor’s Note: “What To Know About The Dragon Boat Festival In Hong Kong” was most recently updated in May 2025 by Veena Raghunath.