Dragon Boat Festivities Get Started in Central Park

Monk demonstrates his skills by having someone break a bamboo stick on his head at Central Park on Thursday. (Cliff Jia/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—Dragon boats, Kung Fu monks, and an Asian cartoon character made for an unusual and fun display of culture on Thursday at the Cherry Hill Fountain in Central Park. The event kicked off the 2009 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival to be held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Aug. 8 and 9.

“My favorite part of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival … is that it brings a sport and a culture of China here to New York City.

It explores, it brings it to the public, and it’s free. It combines sport, art, culture, music, and food all in one day,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, during the introduction.

The event consisted of a performance by Shaolin monks, an appearance by Kai Lan (a character from Nickelodeon’s animated preschool series Ni Hao), and the traditional awakening ceremony of the Dragon boats.

After the martial arts performance, Benepe talked about the upcoming free events taking place in New York City parks which include Metropolitan Opera performances, free movies and concerts, and kids activities.

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Chairman Henry Wan gave a brief history about the Dragon Boat Festival in New York City.

It all began in 1991, when Hong Kong business interests wanted to find an event to promote relations between New York and Hong Kong.

“It was supposed to be a one year event, but the response was so great that it’s been here ever since,” said Wan.

After the history lesson, the eye painting began which led into the traditional awakening ceremony when the eyes of dragons were dotted with red paint.

The annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York is a free multi-cultural celebration and sporting event that is held on Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.