Boat Race Marks Beginning of Dragon Boat Festival Weekend in Taiwan
The 2024 Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships are under way, and mark the beginning of the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend in Taiwan.
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00:00 [HORN BLOWING]
00:03 And they're off.
00:04 The 2024 Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships
00:08 are underway, marking the beginning of Duanmu
00:11 Jie, or Dragon Boat Festival.
00:13 People celebrate the long weekend
00:15 by eating zongzi, a kind of stuffed glutinous rice
00:18 dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves,
00:19 and by hopping into decorative longboats
00:22 to put their paddling skills to the test
00:23 in a sporting and cultural event with a history of over 2,000
00:27 years.
00:28 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
00:40 Every year, hundreds of teams gather across the country
00:42 to race.
00:43 Here in Taipei, next to the iconic Grand Hotel,
00:46 dozens of teams are taking to the water
00:47 after months of training to compete
00:49 in this physically and technically demanding sport.
00:53 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
00:59 It's not only about the race itself, but also
01:02 the teamwork, team spirit.
01:03 We get up every day, early at 4 to 5,
01:08 and we paddle together for one and one and a half hours.
01:10 So this is a very important annual event for us.
01:14 All are welcome at dragon boating,
01:16 regardless of nationality, gender, age, or orientation.
01:20 For many, the highlight of the festival
01:22 may be the race, but these events
01:24 aren't all about the competition.
01:26 They're about coming together as a community
01:28 to honor long-lasting traditions.
01:30 Ryan Wu and Riese is by the Taipei Riverside for Taiwan+.
01:35 [BLANK_AUDIO]