The “Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival,” a 13-day celebration dedicated to preserving one of the city’s most renowned cultural traditions, drew crowds to the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade to celebrate the century-old heritage.
The dragon boat carnival seamlessly blended traditional and modern elements, featuring exciting races, festive delicacies, and immersive cultural experiences, to showcase Hong Kong’s mega event appeal.
A spectacular grand finale to the Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races concluded successfully on Sunday, serving as one of the major highlights of the festival, organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and title-sponsored by Sun Life.
“Dragon boat racing is a powerful symbol of Hong Kong’s cultural identity and a meaningful way to bring people together,” said Adley Low, Chief Client and Marketing Officer of Sun Life Hong Kong. Sun Life has supported local dragon boat events and initiatives for 18 years, reflecting its long-standing commitment to the community.
Low stressed that dragon boating has always been about more than just power and speed, as it relies entirely on a collaborative spirit and teamwork, adding that sharing this common cultural language within society allows the heritage to be passed down to future generations.
To mark the landmark golden jubilee of the races this year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association introduced the “50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup,” which featured six teams of local fishermen from areas including Aberdeen and Chai Wan.
The newly established “Huatai International IDBR 50th Anniversary Championship” brought together top teams from nine major race categories to compete for the title of “Ultimate Dragon Boat Champion,” providing a thrilling climax to the races.
This year’s participants also included students from two secondary schools from Yan Chai Hospital, aiming to shift their perspective of dragon boating from a mere “physical sport” to a form of “cultural inheritance.” In addition, through a collaboration between Sun Life and Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre, cancer survivors were also supported to participate in the races, a joint effort aiming to boost their confidence while preserving the heritage.
Sun Life also curated a series of exclusive activities, including the “Sun Life HK Dragon Boat Co-Creation Zone,” to encourage the public to gain a deeper understanding of the tradition and participate in its preservation.
Located on the ground floor of the K11 MUSEA Promenade, the interactive installation allowed visitors to unleash their creativity by designing their own digital dragon boats, experiencing the thrill of paddling, and capturing these moments through artificial intelligence-generated personalized short videos.
The Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival will not only benefit the city’s economy but will also pass down cultural heritage to the next generation through creative approaches, according to Adley Low, Chief Client and Marketing Officer of Sun Life Hong Kong.
Recalling the company’s 18 years of history supporting the races, Low noted that the celebration has evolved from a local Hong Kong affair into an international event.
Low highlighted that through this festival, which has been scaled up to a 13-day carnival for the first time, Sun Life hoped to enable both locals and visitors to experience the city’s rich culture.
With Sun Life approaching its 135th anniversary in Hong Kong, Low emphasized the company’s desire to play its part as an active member of the community.
“We hope to contribute together to energize Hong Kong’s mega-event economy, boosting both local business and tourism,” Low said.
Low believed the expanded festival would attract more overnight visitors to experience everything from local delicacies to the dragon boat races, fostering a deeper public appreciation for this intangible cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, Low elaborated on combining AI technology at the Sun Life HK Dragon Boat Co-Creation Zone to create an immersive journey, breaking away from old-fashioned, passive promotional methods.
“To attract the new generation, we have to add what they feel is relevant,” Low said, explaining how the integration of artificial intelligence at the zone helps engage youth in experiencing the culture firsthand, which is vital to passing the heritage down.
Low noted that the younger generation shares their festival journeys on social media using the language of their own generation, which creates an organic interaction that is more powerful than having older generations simply dictate traditions to them.
He described every young participant and spectator at the festival as a “bridge” to share this heritage with their peers, thereby inspiring more of the younger generation to embrace the tradition in their daily lives.
Furthermore, Low shared how supporting cancer survivors in the races has helped them shift their identity from “patients” back to “athletes,” rebuilding their confidence and a sense of belonging.
The truly moving part was seeing cancer patients, survivors, their families, and caregivers all paddling together, Low recalled, reflecting on when the team was first formed.
That recovering survivors are physically unsuited for this sport is a common misperception that Sun Life hopes to address through the partnership, he said.
“They might not be the first to cross the finish line, but to me, they have already won.”
