logo
High spirits as Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival kicks off amid strong winds

High spirits as Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival kicks off amid strong winds

Hong Kong dragon boat racers are in high spirits for Tuen Ng Festival, despite strong winds, with tourism authorities expecting a 14 per cent increase in mainland Chinese visitors compared with previous weekends.
A tourism spot, where the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championship is taking place, was packed with racing teams and residents on Saturday morning.
'The weather today is a little windy, which may affect our performance,' said Alan Chan, team captain of the West Kowloon Cultural District's Dragon Boat team.
'Given the wind, there could be big waves when we go out to the sea later, which would affect our results. The waves were not that big when we practised. We will do our best.'
The team, joining the competition at Stanley Main Beach for the first time, said they had completed seven two-hour lessons to prepare for the event.
While some may view the weather as an obstacle, others believe it can give them a boost.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hong Kong back in full swing after Typhoon Wipha as businesses assess damage
Hong Kong back in full swing after Typhoon Wipha as businesses assess damage

South China Morning Post

time3 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Hong Kong back in full swing after Typhoon Wipha as businesses assess damage

Hong Kong was back in full swing on Monday despite some heavy rain, with the airport clearing about 1,000 storm-delayed flights and businesses assessing the economic damage after Typhoon Wipha triggered the first No 10 signal in two years over the weekend. The Hong Kong Observatory warned that showers and squally thunderstorms would continue to affect the city over the next few days under the influence of the outer rainbands of Wipha, which had weakened into a tropical depression. Wipha was the fifth typhoon to trigger the highest-level No 10 signal in the past two decades. However, the maximum average wind speed near its centre, 140km/h, was among the lowest recorded. 'While Wipha, as a typhoon, was not as strong as Saola in 2023, which became a super typhoon when it came close to Hong Kong, the strength of their periphery winds was in fact similar,' Observatory senior scientific officer Lee Shuk-ming said. 03:16 Typhoon Wipha: Hong Kong emerges with dozens hurt, tens of thousands of travellers frustrated Typhoon Wipha: Hong Kong emerges with dozens hurt, tens of thousands of travellers frustrated Economists estimated that the city could have suffered economic losses of as much as HK$2 billion (US$255 million) on Sunday alone based on gross domestic product statistics.

Typhoon Wipha: how did 4 Hong Kong Airlines planes manage to land amid T10?
Typhoon Wipha: how did 4 Hong Kong Airlines planes manage to land amid T10?

South China Morning Post

time4 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Typhoon Wipha: how did 4 Hong Kong Airlines planes manage to land amid T10?

Four Hong Kong Airlines passenger flights touched down at the city's airport while the highest typhoon signal was still in force on Sunday, with experts saying such landings were possible under the right wind and operational conditions. The four flights, which came from Chongqing, Tokyo, Beijing and Denpasar, landed between 2.25pm and 4.04pm. The average maximum sustained wind speed near the centre of Typhoon Wipha stood at around 140km/h (87mph) at the time. They were the only flights to travel to Hong Kong airport amid the seven-hour window when the No 10 warning was in force. About 500 flights were cancelled on Sunday due to the typhoon. Steven Dominique Cheung, chairman of the Hong Kong Professional Airline Pilots Association, said the No 10 signal itself had not factored into the landings. Pilots instead looked at factors such as wind direction, wind speed and 'crosswind limit', which refers to the maximum side-on wind speed an aircraft can safely tolerate during take-off or landing, in addition to international and Hong Kong aviation regulations, he said. 'A large aircraft will have a higher crosswind limit, often at 40 knots, or about 80km/h,' he said.

Karateka Grace Lau ‘cool' about carrying Hong Kong's gold medal hopes at World Games
Karateka Grace Lau ‘cool' about carrying Hong Kong's gold medal hopes at World Games

South China Morning Post

time6 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Karateka Grace Lau ‘cool' about carrying Hong Kong's gold medal hopes at World Games

World No 1 Grace Lau Mo-sheung said she had this year mastered how to perform at her level amid all the accolades, and that her status as a world-leading athlete was no longer putting her under pressure during competition. Advertisement Speaking on Monday ahead of the second World Games of her career next month, the karateka also said the multi-sport event was a competition she cared about. 'I was learning how to deal with my No 1 title last year as I truly felt the pressure,' she said. 'I am all good this year, and after what I have learned, I won't repeat the mistakes of the past and let them drag me down. 'I have felt fine this year, and I knew that I was not bothered any more given my performance in the Premier League and the Asian Championships.' With three Premier League victories in four outings and a regional title – her third straight – since the start of the year, Hongkonger Lau said she was 'cool' about being the city's gold medal hope in Chengdu. The Hong Kong delegation received its World Games send-off on Monday. Photo: Handout 'It's not about any extra pressure or motivation now, I just need to perform at my standard [and the results will take care of themselves],' said the Olympic medallist, who won a bronze in Tokyo in 2021.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store