Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Hsinchu County Dragon Boat Contest had been suspended for 2 years. Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke personally presided over the 2022 Hsinchu County Dragon Boat Contest Opening Ceremony on May 17. Amid the raucous of firecrackers, he prayed for the gods to allow the dragon boat race to proceed smoothly.
Yang Wen-ke mentioned that the dragon boat race has been suspended for the last two years due to COVID-19. So far this year, most people who have been infected have had either mild or no symptoms. The number of infected cases has nearly reached its peak. Afterwards, it should decline. “We must be very cautious with the pandemic. However, we also won’t just sit here and do nothing because of it.” The central government isn’t prohibiting activities such as dragon boat races. As long as we take precautions, it will be fine.
Yang Wen-ke said that at 7 p.m. on June 2, the day before the Dragon Boat Festival, a performance by the Ming Hwa Yuan Art & Cultural Group was held in front of Chi He Temple. The lead performer, Sun Tsui-Feng, performed “Jigong: the Living Buddha—the Episode of the Snow Fox.” On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, June 3, a dragon boat race was held on Chi He Lake, along with various activities such as drawing competition, children’s egg-laying fun and other activities. Local residents and friends were welcome to participate. Please remember to wear face masks and take precautions to prevent COVID-19.
According to Chang Chen-jung, in keeping with the trend of international dragon boat competitions, dragon boats used for the contest this year were made from new fiberglass materials. They are hand-carved and colored by Hung Chuan-jui, a preserver of wooden shipbuilding technology and a traditional architectural master carpenter. His name is recorded in the list of national living artists, curated by the Ministry of Culture. The required skills and used materials make the movement of the boats brisk and light. Such a boat is well suited for racing. The boat making process takes into account the promotion of dragon boat races and the preservation of traditional dragon boat culture.