London ETO celebrates Dragon Boat Festival in Denmark and UK (with photos)
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With the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London, the Copenhagen Dragon Boat Festival 2023 was held on June 18 (Copenhagen time) in Copenhagen, Denmark; and the 2023 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival was held from June 17 to 18 (London time) in Manchester, United Kingdom (UK).
In the Copenhagen Dragon Boat Festival 2023, 24 teams formed by the Danish community took part in a full day of racing. In addition to spectating the exhilarating competition on the water, sports enthusiasts and families immersed themselves in the culinary and musical highlights by the shore of Copenhagen.
The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, delivered a virtual speech at the opening ceremony, highlighting that dragon boat racing dates back more than 2000 years, and since Hong Kong held the first international dragon boat competition in 1976, it has developed into a truly global event.
Mr Law added, “We are glad to see that the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival which has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009, is also celebrated in Denmark. This festival is equally popular in Hong Kong. The 2023 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will be held next weekend at Hong Kong’s famous Victoria Harbour, with over 160 teams formed by locals and overseas friends. This event demonstrates Hong Kong as a dynamic hub with a unique fusion of tradition and modernity where Eastern and Western cultures seamlessly intertwine, and where we celebrate Eastern and Western festivals with equal enthusiasm.”
The festival was also celebrated in Manchester, UK, where over 55 teams participated in races of various categories during the two-day 2023 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. The local community also took part in a series of cultural experiences by the shore, including Tai Chi demonstrations and Chinese calligraphy lessons.