XN000022-1993-08-16 — Page 13

MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1993

12

DRAGON BOAT RACES HELD ON HUDSON RIVER

THE U.S. DRAGON BOAT ASSOCIATION TEAM FROM PHILADELPHIA BEAT 11 OTHER TEAMS TO CAPTURE THE HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) AS THE THIRD ANNUAL HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK REACHED A CRESCENDO.

WITH A WINNING TIME OF 1 MINUTE 37 SECONDS, THE U.S. DRAGON BOAT ASSOCIATION TEAM, PHILADELPHIA, OUT-PADDLED TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA IN A TRADITIONAL 640-METRE RACE ON THE HUDSON RIVER OFF LOWER MANHATTAN IN THE HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE.

THE TEAM WILL BE FLOWN TO HONG KONG TO COMPETE IN THE 1994 HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL DRAGON BOAT RACE.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE VIEWED THE RACE AND VISITED THE WEEK-LONG HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL, HELD AT THE WORLD FINANCIAL CENTRE.

& TRADE ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK AND WAS

THE FESTIVAL WAS PRESENTED BY THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC OFFICE IN NEW YORK AND HONG KONG SPONSORED BY HONGKONGBANK.

11

"SINCE THE LAUNCHING OF THE FIRST HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK IN 1991, THIS TRADITIONAL CHINESE FESTIVAL SPORTING EVENT HAS CAUGHT ON IN NEW YORK, SAID HONG KONG COMMISSIONER, USA, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY FOR

THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE.

"I AM ESPECIALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THIS YEAR, NOT ONLY HAS THE NUMBER OF TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN THE DRAGON BOAT RACES DOUBLED, BUT ALSO THE SCOPE OF THIS YEAR'S EVENT HAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE AN EXHIBITION AND CULTURAL FAIR AT THE WORLD FINANCIAL CENTRE, SAID MR WIGGHAM.

"THE MANY EXCITING EVENTS OF THE FESTIVAL WILL ENABLE NEW YORKERS TO GAIN A COLOURFUL INSIGHT INTO THE MANY FACETED LIFE OF HONG KONG."

THE DAY'S EVENTS INCLUDED A PARADE BY ALL 12 TRADITIONAL DRAGON DANCE.

TEAMS LED BY A

THE FOUR-DAY CELEBRATION IN THE WINTER GARDEN AND ON THE PLAZA OUTSIDE OF THE WORLD FINANCIAL CENTRE FESTURES DEMONSTRATIONS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE DRAFTS, COOKING, MARTIAL ARTS AND DANCES, AND STATE-OF-THE-ART PRODUCTS AND DISPLAYS.

THE DEMONSTRATIONS AND

EXHIBITS INCLUDE: CHINESE MUSIC AND DANCE, MARTIAL ARTS, CHINESE KNOTTING, CALLIGRAPHY, ARTISTIC SEAL CARVING, CHINESE PAINTING, AND DOUGH FIGURES. A "HONG KONG VILLAGE" WAS ALSO SET UP ON THE PLAZA.

/13