6-6_ escalator/market

Last wk in HK- food

Sat. 6/3 Shenzhen China

Fri. 6-2. Tai O

Wed. 5/31. Dragon Boat Races

DRAGON BOAT RACES!
This is a public holiday. We went to Stanley beach to watch them.
(http://www.dragonboat.org.hk/en/home/homepage.html)
(http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/heritage/festivals/he_fest_drag.jhtml)

This Festival, also known as Tuen Ng Festival, commemorates the death of a popular Chinese national hero, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the Mi Lo River over 2,000 years ago to protest corrupt rulers. Legend says that as townspeople attempted to rescue him, they beat drums to scare fish away and threw dumplings into the sea to keep the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body.
The real highlight of the festival is the fierce dragon boats racing in a lively, vibrant spectacle. Teams race the elaborately decorated dragon boats to the beat of heavy drums. The special boats, which measure more than 10 metres, have ornately carved and painted "dragon" heads and tails, and each carries a crew of 20-22 paddlers. Participants train in earnest for the competition. Sitting two abreast, with a steersman at the back and a drummer at the front, the paddlers race to reach the finishing line, urged on by the pounding drums and the roar of the crowds.
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Tues. 5/30. The Peak

Right down the street from our hotel is the Peak tram. This tram goes straight up the mountain....and in about ten minutes you have a fabulous view of Hong Kong and Kowloon....that is, if it's not raining and overcast, like it has been the whole time we've been here. It was still wonderful though and the view was pretty great. We hiked a little, then headed back home.