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75-509: The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is a legacy of Expo 86, where Vancouver's Chinese-Canadian community introduced the traditional annual Chinese Duanwu Festival (summer solstice) to Canada as a cultural outreach program to share Chinese culture with the city's multi-cultural population. The dragon boat festival was created to promote sport and Chinese culture, and a meeting place for Vancouver's culturally diverse population to build intercultural harmony and understanding. Visitors experience

150-497: A bay in between in the south. The west cape, Kowloon Point , the proper Tsim Sha Tsui, coincided with the small hill where the Former Marine Police Headquarters is sited, while the east cape was the hill that is today known as Blackhead Point . The bay between the capes extended as far north as the present-day Mody Road . Today, Canton Road marks the western edge of Tsim Sha Tsui, and Chatham Road

225-696: A bid to boost traditional culture. The Dragon Boat Festival is unofficially observed by the Chinese communities of Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia . Equivalent and related official festivals include the Korean Dano , Japanese Tango no sekku , and Vietnamese Tết Đoan Ngọ . Three of the most widespread activities conducted during the Dragon Boat Festival are eating (and preparing) zongzi , drinking realgar wine , and racing dragon boats . Dragon boat racing has

300-414: A game of making an egg stand at noon (this "game" implies that if someone succeeds in making the egg stand at exactly 12:00 noon, that person will receive luck for the next year), and writing spells . All of these activities, together with the drinking of realgar wine or water, were regarded by the ancients (and some today) as effective in preventing disease or evil while promoting health and well-being. In

375-556: A head wind: longer time required to go from start to finish), or there is no current during slack tide. The land portion of the festival has also varied over the last 2 dozen years. Historic venues include the Plaza of Nations on the north shore, Creekside Park on the east shore and Creekside Community Recreation Centre on the south shore. The current Festival site runs along the False Creek seawall starting from Concord Pacific Place on

450-754: A number of locations in the area though an extensive pedestrian subway network. On 27 June 2021, the Tuen Ma line replaced the West Rail line . The Star Ferry connects Tsim Sha Tsui to Central and Wan Chai . Various hydrofoil services out of the Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal on Canton Road link Tsim Sha Tsui to Macau , Guangzhou , and several other places in the Pearl River Delta . They depart from China Hong Kong City, located near Harbour City. Since Tsim Sha Tsui

525-583: A pyramid shape. The leaves also give a special aroma and flavor to the sticky rice and fillings. Choices of fillings vary depending on regions. Northern regions in China prefer sweet or dessert-styled zongzi, with bean paste, jujube, and nuts as fillings. Southern regions in China prefer savory zongzi, with a variety of fillings including eggs and meat. Zongzi appeared before the Spring and Autumn period and were originally used to worship ancestors and gods. In

600-602: A rich history of ancient ceremonial and ritualistic traditions, which originated in southern central China more than 2500 years ago. The legend starts with the story of Qu Yuan, who was a minister in one of the Warring State governments, Chu. He was slandered by jealous government officials and banished by the king. Out of disappointment in the Chu monarch, he drowned himself in the Miluo River. The common people rushed to

675-598: A sequence of 500 m heats, semi finals, and finals. Other divisions include a Premier Open division. Specialty races include the International Cup (visiting teams face off against Canadian teams in a sequence of races leading up to a 200 m knockout final), the Barrier Free Canada Cup (100 m knockout sprint raising money for seven charities), Breast Cancer Championship, U24 Cup, Grand Dragon's Cup, and Cancer Survivor race. The festival's producers,

750-789: A variety of ethnically themed food, cultural entertainment, fine arts and children's programming reflecting Vancouver's cultural diversity, and some of the world's most competitive dragon boat races. The festival has grown to become one of Vancouver's largest family summer events, attracting paddlers ranging in age from high school students to 'grand dragons' in their 80s, and visitors including families of all ages and backgrounds. The festival celebrates community, culture, and competition by connecting visitors with dragon boat racing, cultural displays, and community organizations that support accessible activity and programs. Volunteers made trips to Hong Kong in 1984 to investigate how to import teak dragon boats. The City of Vancouver Centennial Commission endorsed

825-523: Is a major tourist attraction in Tsim Sha Tsui. Georgetown Parade is well known for its dog nose biscuits. These recognisable buildings were featured in the film Chungking Express , and are full of inexpensive guest houses, Indian restaurants, and money changers. Tsim Sha Tsui is one of the main shopping areas in Hong Kong. Shopping malls in the area include: The Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard

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900-691: Is a traditional Chinese holiday that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar , which corresponds to late May or early June in the Gregorian calendar . The holiday commemorates Qu Yuan who was the beloved prime minister of the southern Chinese state of Chu during the Warring States period , about 600 B.C. to 200 B.C., and is celebrated by holding dragon boat races and eating sticky rice dumplings called zongzi , which were southern Chinese traditions. Dragon Boat Festival integrates praying for good luck and taking respite from

975-773: Is an area in southern Kowloon , Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District . Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui. The area is bounded north by Austin Road and in the east by Hong Chong Road and Cheong Wan Road. Geographically, Tsim Sha Tsui is a cape on the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula pointing towards Victoria Harbour , opposite Central . Several villages had been established in this location before Kowloon

1050-671: Is another popular attraction for tourists, and the Avenue of Stars is also popular with photographers. East Tsim Sha Tsui or Tsim Sha Tsui East (尖沙咀東 or simply 尖東) is an area east of Chatham Road South reclaimed from Hung Hom Bay in the 1970s. The Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade links the area with the Hong Kong Cultural Centre near the Clock Tower. In 2004, the East Rail line returned to Tsim Sha Tsui with

1125-540: Is located along a section of Nathan Road . The flagship stores of several luxury brands are located in the Tsim Sha Tsui section of Canton Road . The largest park in Tsim Sha Tsui is Kowloon Park , a popular destination complete with swimming pools, aviary, children's playground, kung fu corner, sculpture garden and the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. Other parks and public open spaces include Signal Hill Garden at Blackhead Point ,

1200-469: Is related to the number 5. For example, the Guangdong and Hong Kong regions have the tradition of having congee made from 5 different beans. Realgar wine or Xionghuang wine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that is made from Chinese liquor dosed with powdered realgar , a yellow-orange arsenic sulfide mineral. It was traditionally used as a pesticide, and as a common antidote against disease and venom. On

1275-421: Is said to have been the origin of dragon boat races . When his body could not be found, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river so that the fish would eat them instead of Qu Yuan's body. This is said to be the origin of zongzi . During the twentieth century, Qu Yuan became considered a patriotic poet and a symbol of the people. He was promoted as a folk hero and a symbol of Chinese nationalism in

1350-507: The Chinese dragon , traditionally represents masculine energy , whereas the moon, like the phoenix , traditionally represents feminine energy . The summer solstice is considered the annual peak of male energy while the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, represents the annual peak of feminine energy. The masculine image of the dragon has thus become associated with the Dragon Boat Festival. Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui ( Chinese : 尖沙咀 ), often abbreviated as TST ,

1425-723: The Clock Tower of the station was not demolished and was kept in place. It is all that remains standing of the station. The clock tower is forty-four metres high, surmounted by a seven-metre-high (23 ft) lightning rod. It is now surrounded by the public piazza of the Cultural Centre and has become a landmark of Hong Kong. Six pillars of the railway were relocated to the Urban Council Centenary Garden in TST East . The Avenue of Stars starts at

1500-518: The Star Ferry offered regular transport between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, and the area has flourished ever since. Until the 20th century, Tsim Sha Tsui was a leafy suburb that contained numerous facilities of the British garrison in Hong Kong . Whitfield Barracks , converted into Kowloon Park in 1970, ran to the west of Nathan Road , and Kowloon Naval Yard occupied the waterfront to the west of

1575-545: The Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Revitalisation Plan was shelved due to public controversy. Tsim Sha Tsui remains tertiary sector from colonial days to present. In early colonial days, transport, tourism and trading are main business of the area. As port and rail facilities moved out of the area, the major industry falls on the later two. Tsim Sha Tsui, like Central , contains several centres of finance. After Kai Tak Airport closed,

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1650-692: The Urban Council Centenary Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Salisbury Garden, Middle Road Children's Playground and the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, which includes the Avenue of Stars , along the Victoria Harbour waterfront. Half of the major museums in Hong Kong are situated in Tsim Sha Tsui. The Hong Kong Space Museum , Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre are located at

1725-464: The West Rail line , from Nam Cheong station to East Tsim Sha Tsui station was opened. Simultaneously, the segment between East Tsim Sha Tsui station and Hung Hom station was transferred from the East Rail line to the West Rail line, so Hung Hom station is now the interchange station between the East Rail line and the West Rail line. East Tsim Sha Tsui station is connected to Tsim Sha Tsui Station and

1800-422: The dragon king , while dragon boat racing naturally reflects a reverence for the dragon and the active yang energy associated with it. This was merged with the tradition of visiting friends and family on boats. Another suggestion is that the festival celebrates a widespread feature of east Asian agrarian societies: the harvest of winter wheat. Offerings were regularly made to deities and spirits at such times: in

1875-512: The " New World Centre " shopping centre near the Cultural Centre. There is also the attraction of shopping at a clothing store frequented by famous people from all over the world, at Sam's Tailor . The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront is another popular destination for locals and tourists alike. It is especially popular for photographers, as it offers an unobstructed view of the Central area of Hong Kong across Victoria Harbour . The Star Ferry terminal

1950-413: The 1990s, to over 150 in the 2000s, to 200+ today. The distance also was changed to 500 m, keeping with the development of international racing standards. The race course is subject to tidal streams or currents. The water can be flowing in the same direction boats race (similar effect to a tail wind: shorter time required to go from the start line to the finish line), the opposite direction (similar effect to

2025-678: The Alcan Dragon Boat Festival to the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival. In 2012, the Society received 8 BuK dragon boats as a donation from Concord Pacific's Terry Hui in honour of Milton Wong, expanding the fleet to 18 BuK dragon boats, and allowing the festival to be raced entirely in BuK boats. In 2016, after many years of support from Rio Tinto Alcan, founding sponsor Concord Pacific became

2100-470: The American sociologist Wolfram Eberhard wrote that it was more widely celebrated in southern China than in the north. Another theory is that the Dragon Boat Festival originated from dragon worship . This theory was advanced by Wen Yiduo . Support is drawn from two key traditions of the festival: the tradition of dragon boat racing and zongzi . The food may have originally represented an offering to

2175-566: The British Section of the railway was opened for traffic on 1 October 1910, the construction of the railway station in Tsim Sha Tsui started in 1913. Construction on the railway station and its clock tower were completed in 1915. The main building of the Tsim Sha Tsui station was demolished in 1978. The station was relocated to Hung Hom to make way for the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre . But

2250-552: The Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society also operates a series of races and runs Dragon Zone Paddling Club out of Creekside Paddling Centre and Creekside Community Centre. Dragon Zone is a year-round paddling facility on False Creek that offers dragon boat, flatwater kayak and canoe, and outrigger programs for people of all ages, abilities, and competitive levels out of a fully accessible facility. The Society also runs

2325-518: The Dragon Boat Festival a day for getting rid of disease and bad luck. The story best known in modern China holds that the festival commemorates the death of the poet and minister Qu Yuan ( c.  340 –278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States period of the Zhou dynasty . A cadet member of the Chu royal house , Qu served in high offices. However, when the king decided to ally with

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2400-606: The Dragon Boat Festival, people may put realgar wine on parts of children's faces to repel the five poisonous creatures. In some regions of China, people, especially children, wear silk ribbons or threads of 5 colors (blue, red, yellow, white, and black, representing the five elements ) on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. People believe that this will help keep evil away. Other common activities include hanging up icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus , taking long walks, and wearing perfumed medicine bags. Other traditional activities include

2475-428: The Dragon Boat Festival, people try to avoid this bad luck. For example, people may put pictures of the five venomous creatures (snake, centipede, scorpion, lizard, toad, and sometimes spider ) on the wall and stick needles in them. People may also make paper cutouts of the five creatures and wrap them around the wrists of their children. Big ceremonies and performances developed from these practices in many areas, making

2550-559: The Dragon Boat Festival.   ... Now about this Feast. It is also called the Dragon Boat Feast. The fifth of the fifth moon at noon was the most poisonous hour for the poisonous insects, and reptiles such as frogs, lizards, snakes, hide in the mud, for that hour they are paralyzed. Some medical men search for them at that hour and place them in jars, and when they are dried, sometimes use them as medicine. Her Majesty told me this, so that day I went all over everywhere and dug into

2625-1214: The Dragon Zone Youth Regatta (race for youth in early May), the Dragon Zone Spring Sprint (race in 10 person dragon boats in early May), the Dragon Zone 500 M Regatta (BC's second largest race with over 100 teams in early June), and the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival (last race in the Vancouver dragon boat race calendar in late August). Over 50 teams regularly train out of Dragon Zone year round, including recreational or competitive teams. The club also offers introduction programs for dragon boat, youth summer flatwater paddling camps, one day programs, community paddling days, and other cultural and paddling programs in partnership with other community organizations. External links Duanwu Festival The Dragon Boat Festival ( traditional Chinese : 端午節 ; simplified Chinese : 端午节 ; pinyin : Duānwǔ jié )

2700-591: The Festival of Five Poisonous/Venomous Insects ( traditional Chinese : 毒蟲節 ; simplified Chinese : 毒虫节 ; pinyin : Dúchóng jié ; Wade–Giles : Tu -chʻung -chieh ). Yu Der Ling writes in chapter 11 of her 1911 memoir Two Years in the Forbidden City : The first day of the fifth moon was a busy day for us all, as from the first to the fifth of the fifth moon was the festival of five poisonous insects, which I will explain later—also called

2775-586: The Hong Kong festival's racing rules for use on False Creek, which, like Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour course, is subject to tidal currents. These volunteers organized instruction and training for novices who had never paddled before out of the False Creek Community Centre, home of the recently started False Creek Racing Canoe Club. The popularity of dragon boat racing began to grow quickly- initially there were around 30 teams competing, but this number continued to grow each year to over 100 by

2850-563: The Jin dynasty, zongzi dumplings were officially designated as the Dragon Boat Festival food. At this time, in addition to glutinous rice, the Chinese medicine yizhiren ( Alpinia oxyphylla ) was added to the ingredients for making zongzi. This cooked zongzi is called yizhi zong . 'Wu' (午) in the name 'Duanwu' has a pronunciation similar to that of the number 5 in multiple Chinese dialects, and thus many regions have traditions of eating food that

2925-697: The Marine Plaza Zone when they were not being used for practices, competitions or ceremonial purposes in support of the Hong Kong Pavilion. In 1986, the Chinese Cultural Centre of Vancouver organized and hosted the first authentic dragon boat festival in North America, and invited prominent community leaders to be patrons. This committee maintained the fleet of 9 teak dragon boats after 3 more were purchased, under

3000-708: The North shore, to Creekside Park on the East shore, to the Creekside Paddling Centre on the South shore. The festival's main divisions are in Premier Mixed and Premier Women. These two divisions each feature a sequence of 500 m races, with the fastest teams then racing in a 2,000 m turns race, where up to 18 boats race in a time trial. Up to 42 Junior Mixed teams compete in a separate division, featuring

3075-568: The Olympic Village Plaza and Creekside Community Centre. The initial races for Expo 86 were held on the water just to the west of the Cambie Street Bridge. The original race course of 6 lanes were 640 m in length, the same distance as in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui harbour. The number of lanes increased to 9 as the number of boats available for racing increased, and as registered teams grew from 18 in 1986, to 100 in

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3150-631: The People's Republic of China after the 1949 Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War . The historian and writer Guo Moruo was influential in shaping this view of Qu. Another origin story says that the festival commemorates Wu Zixu (died 484 BC), a statesman of the Kingdom of Wu . King Goujian of the state of Yue sends Xi Shi , a beautiful woman, to the state of Wu to distract its King Fuchai from state affairs. Wu Zixu sees through

3225-406: The ancient Yue, dragon kings; in the ancient Chu, Qu Yuan; in the ancient Wu, Wu Zixu (as a river god); in ancient Korea , mountain gods (see Dano ). As interactions between different regions increased, these similar festivals eventually merged into one holiday. In the early 20th century the Dragon Boat Festival was observed from the first to the fifth days of the fifth month, and was also known as

3300-494: The area. Incense trees ( Aquilaria sinensis ) from the New Territories were gathered at some quays in Tsim Sha Tsui and transferred to Shek Pai Wan in southern Hong Kong Island to be exported to the rest of the world. It was thus known as Heung Po Tau, the fragrant quay. Shortly after the land was ceded to Britain, construction began on the first section of Tsim Sha Tsui's major thoroughfare, Nathan Road . In 1888,

3375-515: The army encampment. In the early 20th century, Chinese people were allowed to live in the area to attract more people to trade in the colony. Garden houses were replaced with crowded residential blocks. Wharves and godowns were built along the west shore. Major developers like Hormusjee Naorojee Mody and Catchick Paul Chater actively participated in the development of Tsim Sha Tsui. The Kowloon–Canton Railway (British Section) commenced service on 1 October 1910. Kowloon station in Tsim Sha Tsui

3450-741: The buildings. In 2005, there were 15 office buildings and 5 hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui East: Streets in Tsim Sha Tsui include: Tsim Sha Tsui is served by the MTR Tsim Sha Tsui station , on the Tsuen Wan line . Another station, East Tsim Sha Tsui station , opened in late 2004 as a southern extension of the East Rail line from Hung Hom station . On 16 August 2009, the Kowloon Southern Link of

3525-655: The characters often having the same pronunciation. Hence Duanwu , the festival on "the fifth day of the fifth month". In Cantonese , it is romanized as Tuen Ng Jit in Hong Kong and Tung Ng Jit in Macau , hence the name "Tuen Ng Festival" used in Hong Kong , and Tun Ng ( Festividade do Barco-Dragão in Portuguese ) in Macau. The fifth lunar month is considered an unlucky and poisonous month, and

3600-517: The day of the festival according to the Chinese calendar. The Chinese name of the festival is pronounced differently in different Chinese languages . Duanwu ( 端午 ) literally means 'starting five'—i.e., the first "fifth day" of the month according to the Chinese zodiac . However, despite the literal meaning referring to the Earthly Branches , this character has also become associated with wǔ ( 五 ; wu ; 'five'), due to

3675-454: The early 1990s. In 1998, an Asia-Pacific food fair along with performances and entertainment at the Plaza of Nations inspired organizers to expand the dragon boat festival to include a cultural component like in Hong Kong. In 1989, the festival invited and hosted international dragon boat teams to compete, starting with a women's team from Australia and a men's team from Great Britain. Over

3750-463: The early years of the Republic of China , Duanwu was celebrated as the "Poets' Day" due to Qu Yuan's status as China's first known poet. In Taiwanese tradition, balancing an egg on Duanwu is said to bring good fortune for the rest of the year. The sun is considered to be at its strongest around the time of the summer solstice, as the daylight in the northern hemisphere is the longest. The sun, like

3825-509: The eastern edge. The area is hilly, although many hills were levelled for reclamation. Historical maps in Ming or Qing dynasty named the channel between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central as Chung Mun (Pinyin: Zhong Men, 中門, lit. the middle gate) as it is located in the middle of the two other channels, Kap Shui Mun in the west and Lei Yue Mun in the east, in the harbour. Before Kowloon was ceded to Britain in 1860, many villages were present in

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3900-404: The extension of the line from Hung Hom to the new East Tsim Sha Tsui station , which serves as an interchange station with Tsim Sha Tsui station on the Tsuen Wan line . Unlike other East Rail line stations, it was built underground near Blackhead Point . An extensive tunnel system was constructed for pedestrians to access the most popular destinations in Tsim Sha Tsui, and to change trains between

3975-465: The festival first appeared during the early Han dynasty. The stories of both Qu Yuan and Wu Zixu were recorded in Sima Qian 's Shiji , completed 187 and 393 years after the respective events, because historians wanted to praise both characters. According to historians, the holiday originated as a celebration of agriculture, fertility, and rice growing in southern China . As recently as 1952

4050-527: The fifth day of the fifth month especially so. To get rid of the misfortune, people would put calamus , Artemisia , and garlic above the doors on the fifth day of the fifth month. These were believed to help ward off evil by their strong smell and their shape (for instance, calamus leaves are shaped like swords). Venomous animals were said to appear starting from the fifth day of the fifth month, such as snakes, centipedes, and scorpions; people also supposedly get sick easily after this day. Therefore, during

4125-443: The ground, but found nothing. In 2008 the Dragon Boat Festival was made a national public holiday in China . The festival was long marked as a cultural festival in China and is a public holiday in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan . The People's Republic of China's government established in 1949 did not initially recognize the Dragon Boat Festival as a public holiday but reintroduced it in 2008 alongside two other festivals in

4200-575: The height restrictions on buildings has dropped and now larger taller skyscrapers, parallel to those of Central, have been constructed. Some depictions of the cartoon cat Din Dong appear throughout the city. A statue in the Avenue of Comic Stars was built in Kowloon Park. Tourist hospitality is a major industry in Tsim Sha Tsui. The area has the highest concentration of hotels in Hong Kong. Some of

4275-517: The hotels include The Peninsula , Rosewood Hong Kong , Kowloon Shangri-La , InterContinental Hong Kong , The Mira Hong Kong , Baden-Powell International House , Hotel Icon , and the Hotel Panorama . The Hyatt Regency Hong Kong was closed on 1 January 2006 and the iSQUARE shopping mall was built at its former location; it re-opened in October 2009 on Hanoi Road of Tsim Sha Tsui within

4350-492: The increasingly powerful state of Qin , Qu was banished for opposing the alliance and even accused of treason. During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry . Eventually, Qin captured Ying , the Chu capital. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River . It is said that the local people, who admired him, raced out in their boats to save him, or at least retrieve his body. This

4425-406: The leadership of Dr. Wallace Chung and Dr. S. Wah Leung. Part of this group of founding volunteers includes David See-Chai Lam and Milton K. Wong , who would later reorganize the Vancouver Festival as the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival in 1988. Mason Hung, senior IDBF vice-president and Product Development Manager with the HKTB, came to Vancouver as a consultant. The first races adapted

4500-439: The memory of the young girl Cao E (130–144 AD) instead. Cao E's father Cao Xu ( 曹盱 ) was a shaman who presided over local ceremonies at Shangyu . In 143, while presiding over a ceremony commemorating Wu Zixu during the Dragon Boat Festival, Cao Xu accidentally fell into the Shun River . Cao E, in an act of filial piety , searched the river for 3 days trying to find him. After five days, she and her father were both found dead in

4575-419: The new The Masterpiece skyscraper. Other hotels in virtually every price range and level of luxury can be found throughout the area; Chungking Mansions is known for providing cheap lodging for backpackers. Tsim Sha Tsui is one of many places to find exotic restaurants in Hong Kong. Hillwood Road at the north of Observatory Hill concentrates on restaurants of different national dishes. Knutsford Terrace on

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4650-440: The new title partner of the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival. Concord Pacific also donated $ 1 million to build a new community boathouse for community paddling operations to support the dragon boat festival and its year round paddling club. The Creekside Paddling Centre houses the festival's equipment and boats year round for use. The festival also expanded back to Concord Pacific Place and Creekside Park in 2016 after being run in

4725-436: The next few years, teams flew over from Indonesia, Japan, England, Germany and Australia to compete against teams from Canada and the USA. In recent years, international teams have returned to Vancouver as the festival has grown, with teams participating from around the world, including from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the US, Great Britain, Australia, Singapore, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and many other countries from around

4800-411: The other side of the hill is a terrace of pubs. Kimberley Street is famous for the Korean cuisine restaurants and grocery stores, especially after the advent of Korean Wave ( 韓流 ) in Hong Kong, giving the street the nickname of Koreatown ( 小韓國 ). From there, a string of Korean restaurants are located on Austin Avenue which circles Observatory Hill. Located on Nathan Road , the Chungking Mansions

4875-406: The plan for an inaugural festival as part of the official civic anniversary festivities. The local committee contacted the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), and with the financial assistance of businesses connected to Hong Kong ( Cathay Pacific Airways , Sing Tao and Empire Stevedoring ), brought six teak wooden dragon boats built in Hong Kong to Vancouver for Expo 86. These boats were on display at

4950-453: The plot and warned Fuchai, who became angry and forced the latter to commit suicide. His body was thrown into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month. After his death, in places such as Suzhou , Wu Zixu is remembered during the Dragon Boat Festival. Although Wu Zixu is commemorated in southeast Jiangsu and Qu Yuan elsewhere in China, much of Northeastern Zhejiang , including the cities of Shaoxing , Ningbo and Zhoushan , celebrates

5025-597: The river from drowning. Eight years later, in 151, a temple was built in Shangyu dedicated to the memory of Cao E and her sacrifice. The Shun River was renamed Cao'e River in her honor. Cao E is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu ("Table of Peerless Heroes") by Jin Guliang. Some modern research suggests that the stories of Qu Yuan or Wu Zixu were superimposed onto a pre-existing holiday tradition. The promotion of these stories might have been encouraged by Confucian scholars, seeking to legitimize and strengthen their influence in China. The relationship between zongzi, Qu Yuan and

5100-410: The southern waterfront. Hong Kong Museum of History and Hong Kong Science Museum are situated in Tsim Sha Tsui East. The Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre and the Health Education Exhibition and Resource Centre , located within Kowloon Park, are housed in preserved and restored blocks of the former Whitfield Camp . Tsim Sha Tsui was once the terminus of the Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR). After

5175-478: The summer heat. In September 2009, UNESCO officially approved the holiday's inclusion in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity , becoming the first Chinese holiday to be selected. The English language name for the holiday is "Dragon Boat Festival", used as the official English translation of the holiday by the People's Republic of China . It is also referred to in some English sources as Double Fifth Festival which alludes to

5250-406: The two lines. East Tsim Sha Tsui is the last district in Hong Kong to use a grid plan system before the Hong Kong government adopted its high land price policy, meaning that development in East Tsim Sha Tsui is less centralised than in newer districts. It is characterised by a large number of mid-rise buildings including hotels, offices and shopping centres. Pedestrian plazas are located in between

5325-590: The water and tried to recover his body, but they failed. In commemoration of Qu Yuan, people hold dragon boat races yearly on the day of his death according to the legend. They also scattered rice into the water to feed the fish, to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan's body, which is one of the origins of zongzi . A notable part of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival is making and eating zongzi, also known as sticky rice dumplings, with family members and friends. People traditionally make zongzi by wrapping glutinous rice and fillings in leaves of reed or bamboo, forming

5400-411: The world. In 1996, 10 years after Vancouver's first race, the 1st IDBF Club Crew World Championships was convened on False Creek during the festival. The 1996 Club Crew World Championships marked the first time that a state-sponsored dragon boat team from China competed outside Asia. Crews competing also flew in from Australia, New Zealand, Germany and England. In 2008, the festival was rebranded from

5475-502: Was approved to be constructed on reclaimed land in 1912. It was built on the new southern reclamation from 1913 to 1915. The rails extended along the western reclamation parallel to Chatham Road , with old Hung Hom station near the Gun Club Hill Barracks at the junction of Chatham Road and Austin Road . Another major road, Salisbury Road , was completed in approximately the same period. The landmark Peninsula Hotel

5550-474: Was built on the reclamation in 1928, opposite to the station. The Kowloon station was relocated to a new Hung Hom station in 1978. The whole station and rails were demolished except the landmark Clock Tower . Hong Kong Space Museum and later the Hong Kong Cultural Centre were erected on the site. The rails were replaced with New World Centre and other gardens in Tsim Sha Tsui East . In 2016

5625-675: Was ceded to the British Empire in 1860. The name Tsim Sha Tsui in Cantonese means sharp sandspit . It was also known as Heung Po Tau ( 香埗頭 ), i.e. a port for exporting incense tree . Tsim Sha Tsui is a major tourist hub in Hong Kong, with many high-end shops, bars, pubs and restaurants that cater to tourists. Many of Hong Kong's museums are located in the area. The name Tsim Sha Tsui ( Chinese : 尖沙咀 ) means 'sharp sandspit' in Cantonese . Before any land reclamation , Tsim Sha Tsui consisted of two parallel capes with

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