By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Where
- Stanley Main Beach
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- June
- Dates
- Move each year with the lunar calendar
Tuen Ng is a gazetted public holiday. The races at Stanley and Aberdeen and the Tai O parade fall on the day itself. The Tourism Board’s international races at Tsim Sha Tsui ran on a later weekend last time; their next dates have not been announced.
Tuen Ng is the dragon boat holiday, and on the day boats race at several points around Hong Kong, all free to watch from the shore. Stanley has the biggest and most international crowd, Aberdeen the strongest fishing-community feel, and Tai O on Lantau a quieter, much older water parade. It falls at the wettest time of year, so take an umbrella, and go early.
What Tuen Ng Dragon Boats actually is
The festival marks the death of the poet Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the Miluo River; the tale says villagers raced out in boats to save him and threw rice into the water to keep the fish from his body. That is where the joong, the sticky rice parcels every grocer sells this week, come in.
In Hong Kong the racing grew up among the fishing communities. Long narrow boats with a dragon’s head at the bow carry about twenty paddlers, with a drummer beating time in the middle.
Tai O’s ritual is older than the sport. Its fishing guilds carry deity statues through the stilt-house creeks by boat, to bring peace to the village, a rite now on China’s national heritage list.
Where to watch Tuen Ng Dragon Boats
- Stanley Main Beach, for atmosphere. The international championships bring company teams, expat crews and a beach full of spectators with a drink in hand. It is the most fun, and the most crowded.
- Aberdeen, for tradition. The boats race in the harbour between the moored fishing fleet and the promenade, and the crowd is largely local.
- Tai O, for the water parade. It takes place in the morning, and you need to set out early, as the bus from Tung Chung or Mui Wo is the only way in.
- Tsim Sha Tsui, for the big international races. The Tourism Board’s event moved here and ran on a later weekend at the last festival, with teams from overseas and a food fair on the promenade.
Tickets and what it costs
You need no ticket anywhere on the shore. Bars at Stanley sell tables and packages, which are worth it only if you want shade and a seat all day, and which go early.
Official information and booking: www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/events.html
Getting there
For Stanley, take a bus from Exchange Square in Central or from Causeway Bay, and allow plenty of time. Roads over the island are slow on the holiday, and the queue back at dusk is long.
For Aberdeen, buses run from Central and Admiralty, and Wong Chuk Hang MTR is a short taxi ride away. For Tai O, take the MTR to Tung Chung, then bus 11, and allow about an hour from there on a holiday.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Forgetting it is the wet season
This is the rainiest part of the year, and thunderstorms can delay racing. Keep an eye on the Observatory, and bring a hat, sun cream and an umbrella, since you may need all three in one morning.
Leaving Stanley at the same time as everyone else
When the racing ends the bus queues run down the road. Stay for dinner, or walk over to the market and leave later.
Assuming the big international races are on the holiday
At the last festival the Tourism Board’s headline races at Tsim Sha Tsui fell more than a week after Tuen Ng itself. Check the dates if that is the event you came for.
Missing the food
Joong are at their best this week, savoury in the Cantonese style with salted egg and pork, and they make a good picnic on the seawall.
Other Hong Kong events
Frequently asked questions
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong?
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, called Tuen Ng in Cantonese, a public holiday in late May or June. The dates card above has this year’s.
Where is the best place to watch dragon boats in Hong Kong?
Stanley Main Beach, for the biggest crowd and the liveliest day. Aberdeen is more local, and Tai O has an old water parade in place of a race.
Are the dragon boat races free?
Yes, from the shore everywhere. Some bars and tents at Stanley sell tables and packages for those who want shade and a seat.
What are joong?
Sticky rice parcels wrapped in bamboo leaves, filled with pork, salted egg or mung beans, and eaten for Tuen Ng. Every grocer and bakery sells them around the festival.
Sources
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.