Dragon boat racing is a ancient tradition based on a legend of the ancient patriot-poet Qu Yuan, a court minister who advocated reform for his home state of Chu. He was exiled by the king, and when he heard his homeland had been invaded, he jumped into the river and drowned himself.

Started as a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan, dragon boat racing has become an annual event for family gatherings, traditional Chinese dance and other cultural performance. Tens of thousands of people flocked to the 21st annual Hong Kong dragon boat festival at Meadows Corona Park in Flushing, New York, on Aug 13 and 14.

Reporter: Liu Yuhan

Video: Liu Yuhan

Producer: Flora Yue & Chen Weihua