Dragon Boat festivities galore in Stanley and Sha Tin

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. From Stanley's open seas to Sha Tin's Shing Mun River, high-octane dragon boat races brought together sport, tradition and community.

In Stanley, nearly four thousand paddlers from around the world joined the contests, while Sha Tin gathered home crowds, cheering for some 190 teams -- vying for the dragon boat glory.

TVB reporters were at the two venues respectively.

Thundering drumbeats and roaring cheers echoed through the coastline of Stanley as the International Dragon Boat Championships got underway. Before hitting the water, the squads rallied their members and fired up their spirits.

JEREMY WAITE: "We are ready for anything. Weather is not going to stop us Wind, rain -- nothing stops us."

LEO SONG & HUGO LEUNG: "The weather is quite good. We are all enjoying the match here."

Some stood out with elaborate costumes with locals and tourists coming to witness the Chinese traditional sport.

JOSH STOPEK, US Tourist: "This is an awesome, unique experience. First time ever coming and can't get anything like this anywhere else."

CHRIS HARROCKS: "This is a wonderful piece of tradition. This is my second time here -- my wife is paddling."

The event also invited Olympic gold medallist skier Eileen Gu as an ambassador for their inaugural "Dragonbeat" DJ party. Today's competition features 185 teams. With four teams travelling to Hong Kong to participate. A total of 4,000 athletes are taking part, and they will complete 47 races within a day. Organisers anticipate over 100,000 spectators here in Stanley throughout the day.

Over at Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, it's full steam ahead from 8 in the morning. Paddles churned the sea in perfect rhythm. Every stroke followed the beat of the drum as crews surged down the course. Spectators filled both banks of the river, cheering on the competitors. Sha Tin's programme features 33 races, including the 500-metre events, 300-metre races and phoenix boat competitions. Around 190 teams took part.

CHUI LAI-HO: "The atmosphere and the results are excellent, you can see many people attend, whether as an audience or as a contestant, they performed really well. Teamwork is very important, as you said because it is not a single race, it's a team. We have all those teammates who strive for the best."

Also there was Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho, who presented awards to those who have striven for dragon boat glory. With a long, straight course and an unobstructed view from both sides, the Shing Mun River remains a popular natural grandstand for dragon boat fans. Compared with beachside and coastal areas, the Shing Mun River can offer a very clear view to the action from start to finish.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board's Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival has also kicked off at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, featuring four themed photo spots. A 22-metre traditional wooden dragon boat -- once used by fishermen for racing -- is also on display.

Visitors can also take part in intangible cultural heritage workshops, including fishing net weaving. Food stalls -- lined the Avenue of Stars, offering dragon boat-themed ice cream and specialty drinks. The festival runs until July 1st with the food street open daily from 1pm to 10pm.