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Penang International Dragon Boat Festival 2005 |
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Written by Kelvin Tan
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Wednesday, 01 June 2005 |
Penang will host the 26th Penang International Dragon Boat Festival 2005 at the Teluk Bahang dam from June 10 to 12.
OVERVIEW
Dragon boat racing is a sport that has existed for centuries. Founded in China, it combines the power, speed and endurance of 12 or 20 people. Manned by paddlers, steerers and a drummer, the exquisite dragon boats surge towards the finish line, accompanied by the thunder of drums and roar of the crowd.
Outside of China, Malaysia was the first country to hold dragon boat races. In 1934, dragon boat racing was first introduced as a sporting activity in Penang.
In 1956, Penang’s first dragon boat race was held to commemorate the Georgetown Municipal Council’s 100th anniversary. 10 years later, the sport was revived as part of Pesta Pulau Pinang (Penang Festival).
In those early years, the races saw only local participation from teams including government departments, associations and commercial establishments. But, the sport gained popularity and in 1979, the first Penang International Dragon Boat Festival took place with 2 teams from overseas, Singapore and Hong Kong.
The Penang International Dragon Boat Festival is a state government project and supported by the Penang State Tourism Division, Tourism Malaysia and the Penang State Water Authority.
Today, the festival is a hotly contested competition with teams from many countries fighting for the coveted grand prize.
The 25th Penang International Dragon Boat Festival was a tremendous success. It was the biggest & greatest dragon boat festival event in the history of Penang. Hopefully the 26th Penang International Dragon Boat 2005 will be even better.
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