The Dragon boat festival in Hong Kong

2026.06.26
Writer / 記事を書いた人
Terrin
Hong Kong(香港)

My name is Terrin Ng, and I am from Hong Kong.
Hong Kongers love Japan very much, and I personally love the food, scenery, and culture of Japan.
That is why I moved to Japan to work and live.

Article

The Dragon boat festival in Hong Kong

▼ 記事の音声を再生

<Let's learn!> 
- even though
- work together
- move A forward
- in person

=====================================

Hong Kong is a special place in Asia. Many different cultures and people live there. Even though Hong Kong is small, there are many festivals every year.

One of the most famous festivals in Hong Kong is the Dragon Boat Festival. It happens in summer. People watch dragon boat races near the sea or by the river. Many teams work together and race very fast. It is exciting and fun to watch.

There are two important roles in dragon boat racing. One person sits at the front of the boat and beats the drum. The drummer helps the team keep the same rhythm.

The others are paddlers. They use their paddles to move the boat forward as fast as they can.

It is easier to watch dragon boat races on televisions because there are live broadcasts. But if you want to enjoy the real atmosphere, I recommend watching them in person. You can feel the energy, hear the sound of the drum, and feel the excitement of the race. I still remember the beat of the drum and the excitement of the dragon boat race from a long time ago.

日本語訳を見る

Key Points

Repeat each word(s) and example sentence(s) after your teacher/tutor.

Key Phrases 重要表現

even though

~であるのに、~にもかかわらず

Even though it was raining, we went to the park.

work together

協力する、共同で働く

We need to work together to finish this project.

move A forward

Aを前に進める、Aを前進させる

We have to move the desk forward to clean the floor.

in person

直接、対面で、自分で

I want to see the famous singer in person.

Key Vocabulary 重要単語・熟語

happen

ˈhæp.ən

(行事が)行われる、起こる、発生する

動詞

(of a situation or an event) to have existence or come into existence

Accidents often happen on this dark road.

role

roʊl

役割、役目

名詞

the position or purpose that someone or something has in a situation, organization, society, or relationship

She played an important role in the team.

beat

biːt

叩く、打つ、(太鼓などを)鳴らす / 拍子、鼓動

動詞 / 名詞

to hit repeatedly

The drummer beats the drums loudly.

rhythm

ˈrɪð.əm

リズム、拍子、調子

名詞

a strong pattern of sounds, words, or musical notes that is used in music, poetry, and dancing

I love the fast rhythm of this dance music.

atmosphere

ˈæt.mə.sfɪr

雰囲気、空気

名詞

the character, feeling, or mood of a place or situation

This restaurant has a very romantic atmosphere.

recommend

ˌrek.əˈmend

勧める、推薦する

動詞

to suggest that someone or something would be good or suitable for a particular job or purpose, or to suggest that a particular action should be done

The doctor recommended eating more vegetables.

excitement

ɪkˈsaɪt.mənt

興奮、ワクワクすること

名詞

a feeling of being excited, or an exciting event

I couldn't sleep because of the excitement of the trip.

Others その他

drummer

ˈdrʌm.ɚ

太鼓を叩く人、ドラマー

名詞

someone who plays a drum or a set of drums

We are looking for a new drummer for our school festival.

paddler

ˈpæd.lɚ

パドルで漕ぐ人、漕ぎ手

名詞

a person who paddles a boat

Paddlers wore life jackets for safety.

paddle

ˈpæd.əl

パドル、櫂(かい)

名詞

a short pole with a wide, flat part at one end or both ends, used for moving a small boat or canoe through the water

They bought new paddles for the canoe trip.

live broadcasts

laɪv ˈbrɑːd.kæsts

生放送、生中継

名詞

a television or radio programme that is broadcast at the same time as the action happens

I watched the live broadcast of the baseball game.

Practice

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.

He went to school (___)(___) he had a fever.

ヒント:even though

回答を見る

He went to school (even)(though) he had a fever.

The two countries (___)(___) to protect the beautiful sea.

ヒント:work together

回答を見る

The two countries (work)(together) to protect the beautiful sea.

Please (___) your car (___).

ヒント:move A forward

回答を見る

Please (move) your car (forward).

You should apologize to him (___)(___).

ヒント:in person

回答を見る

You should apologize to him (in)(person).

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your teacher/tutor.

The Dragon boat festival in Hong Kong

<Let's learn!> 
- even though
- work together
- move A forward
- in person

=====================================

Hong Kong is a special place in Asia. Many different cultures and people live there. Even though Hong Kong is small, there are many festivals every year.

One of the most famous festivals in Hong Kong is the Dragon Boat Festival. It happens in summer. People watch dragon boat races near the sea or by the river. Many teams work together and race very fast. It is exciting and fun to watch.

There are two important roles in dragon boat racing. One person sits at the front of the boat and beats the drum. The drummer helps the team keep the same rhythm.

The others are paddlers. They use their paddles to move the boat forward as fast as they can.

It is easier to watch dragon boat races on televisions because there are live broadcasts. But if you want to enjoy the real atmosphere, I recommend watching them in person. You can feel the energy, hear the sound of the drum, and feel the excitement of the race. I still remember the beat of the drum and the excitement of the dragon boat race from a long time ago.

Questions

Answer the questions based on the article.

When does the Dragon Boat Festival happen?

ヒント:It happens ~

回答を見る

It happens in summer.

What does the drummer do during the race?

ヒント:The drummer helps ~

回答を見る

The drummer helps the team keep the same rhythm.

Why does the writer recommend watching the race in person?

ヒント:You can feel ~

回答を見る

Because you can feel the energy, hear the sound of the drum, and feel the excitement of the race.

Discussion

Let’s have a discussion about the theme with your teacher/tutor or classmates.

With your teacher/tutor 先生とのディスカッション

Would you like to join a dragon boat race? Why or why not?

Yes, I would./ No, I wouldn't. Because ~.

In a dragon boat, there are drummers and paddlers. Which role do you want to play? Why?

I want to play the role of a [ drummer / paddler ]. Because ~.

In your opinion, what is the most important thing for a sports team?

I think the most important thing is ~.

With your classmates クラスメートとのディスカッション

Have you ever watched a race or sports event live?

Yes, I have. I watched ~. / No, I haven't. But I want to watch ~.

Is it better to watch events on TV or in person? And why?

I think it is better to watch events ~. Because ~.

What are your favorite festival memories?

My favorite memory is ~.