Taipei City Government

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the three major festivals in Chinese culture. Every year, Taipei City hosts an unforgettable Dragon Boat Festival event at the riverside park to celebrate this important holiday.

This year, the 2016 Taipei Dragon Boat Festival will take place at the Dajia Riverside Park between June 9 and 11. The carnival event will feature family activities, allowing parents and their kids to enjoy close contact with the outdoors. The zongzi-wrapping contest is an annual contest allowing ladies and moms to demonstrate their skills. For kids, nothing beats the fun of trying to make eggs ‘stand’ at noontime – a custom passed down since ancient times. The fair promises to provide fun activities, delicious food, and great bargains for the entire family!

For competitive sports, the Dragon Boat Competition is a major event attracting over 200 teams from Taiwan and abroad. The athletes will compete to win prize money with accumulated sum exceeding NT$1 million. The dragon boat race – the largest of its kind in Taiwan – also hosts a “city university dragon boat invitations” this year, promising to bring a new wave of excitement to the games.

Ride the Dragon Boat Event

The organizers will make three large-sized dragon boats available for members of the public to try out on the river between 9 AM and 5 PM on the following dates: May 22, May28, and May 29.

Dragon Boat Festival Fair

To honor ancient traditions, Taipei’s Dragon Boat Festival festivities will kick off with a ritual at the Qu Yuan Temple in Zhoumei – the only temple in Taiwan worshipping the legendary poet and politician. Following the dragon boat eye-painting ceremony, the fleet will sail down the river to the wharf at Dajia Riverside Park, hoping to bring blessing to all participants. The event is slated for Saturday, May 21.

The opening ceremony of this year’s Dragon Boat Festival Carnival will take place at 4 PM on June 9. The fair itself will last through Saturday, June 11.

In addition to watching the dragon boat tournament, visitors can also enjoy the many activities, food, and merchandise available at the carnival booths, promising fun time for the entire family. In addition, there will be a various performances on the main stage to entertain all age groups. The first day will feature music by a number of bands. The second will spotlight performances for the entire family, including the appearance of members from EBC YOYO family, as well as magic and clown shows. The final day will offer citizens to take part in performances, allowing individuals to showcase their talents before others.

For those wanting some hands-on encounter with Dragon Boat Festival traditions, there will be a dragon boat display area for visitors to take pictures with. An egg-standing activity will also be held at the fair ground on June 9, offering kids and families a chance to challenge themselves to this daunting yet fun task. On June 10, there will be an organized event inviting everyone to join and create a “long” zhongzi measuring 2016 centimeters.

The closing ceremony and award presentation event will take place on June 11.

For more information, please visit the Chinese event website at: http://dragonboat.taipei/