Credit: Euro-Asie
Organised by the Chinese Cultural Institute of Luxembourg (CCCL) and the Euro-Asie Schengen International Group, the second Dragon Boat Festival was held on the Moselle River at Remich on Sunday 2 June 2024.
Attended by dignitaries such as Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, the Ambassador of China to Luxembourg, Hua Ning, and the Mayor of Remich, Jacques Sitz, the celebrations on dry land also included a Dragon Dance and music & dance & martial arts performances, as well as stands showcasing Chinese culture and language by the Confucius Institute and CCCL, such as calligraphy; plus various food trucks offering a mix of Asian and European cuisine, as well as stands with Bubble Tea and Moselle wines.
On the day, Zhang Yong, President of the Schengen International Group and coordinator of the event, welcomed everyone, and was followed by speeches from Minister Delles and Ambassador Hua Ning.
Around 700 people supported the event on the day; they witnessed a total of fourteen teams participated this year (in last year's inaugural event there were eleven teams), each comprising 18 members (16 rowers and 1 drummer who were contestants, plus one professional from Dragonboat Club Besch). These were from: Agricultural Bank of China; Bank of China (2 teams); BIL Bank; Cargolux; Confucius Institute Luxembourg; Municipalities of Remich, Mondorf, Schengen and Perl; Euro Asie; Everbright & Communication bank; HNCA; IEE; ICBC Bank; Lunex University (2 teams); Merchant Bank.
Before the action started on the water, Minister Delles and Ambassador Hua Ning painted the eye of the dragon in a symbolic opening (the dragon must see the road to victory).
After the various heats and semi-finals, the final was contested, with all races taking part over a course of approximately 250m, with the official result as follows:
1. Lunex University
2. Confucius Institue
3. ICBC Bank
