Penang,—The Penang International Dragon Boat Regatta 2024 was inaugurated today at the splendid Straits Quay Retail Marina, celebrating the baby steps in beginning the event’s milestone of its 45th year. The opening ceremony, which was attended by His Excellency TUN DATO’ SERI Utama AHMAD FUZI BIN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK , Penang Chief Minister, YAB. Chow Kon Yeow and Dewan EXCO Penang for (PETACE), YB Wong Hon Wai, showcased the event’s character as one that encompasses sports, cultural activities, and international engagement.

This year a regatta will be even more special, holding in its time the 50th anniversary of establishing Sino-Malaysian diplomatic relations. The importance of the international level of the event can also be easily seen through its cooperation, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Penang and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) as few of its most important sponsors.

A significant amount of attention is also taken by HK Express, which on November 22, 2024, started its flight from Hong Kong to Penang and brought across more than 100 paddlers without any competition. “This partnership gestures to the fact that the regatta has a global character and that it serves as a cultural and tourism linkage,” emphasized YB Wong.

The Evolution of History: Contemporary Dragon Boat Race About Its Origin

The sport of dragon boat racing has in its roots the cultural gathering of East and Southeast Asia, with its ‘ zhongyuan festival held as a performance in honour of the historical patriot/poet Qu Yuan who is considered the first dragon boat enthusiast’. With such a background, where else would it be appropriate to begin dragon boat races if not in China, which has the longest history of this traditional art? The people of Penang, around the 50s of the last century, saw this possibility and jumped aboard the dragon boat racing bandwagon.