Dubai Hosts Hong Kong Dragon Boat Challenge 2025, Celebrating Culture and Strengthening Community Ties

2025-02-11 02:35 Last Updated At：02:48

Dragon boat challenge stages in Dubai to promote Hong Kong culture and heritage

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai (Dubai ETO) sponsored the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Challenge 2025, which took place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on February 8 and 9 (Dubai time), to promote Hong Kong’s unique culture and heritage.

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Dragon boat challenge stages in Dubai to promote Hong Kong culture and heritage Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Dragon boat challenge stages in Dubai to promote Hong Kong culture and heritage Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Held at the Dubai Creek, this year's races attracted more than 40 teams per day with a total of about 1 400 competitors during the two-day event. Among them was a team formed by the Dubai ETO, consisting of members of the Hong Kong community living in the UAE.

Other than competitive races in various categories, the Dubai ETO also set up a promotional booth at the venue over the weekend to promote Hong Kong and provide information on her latest developments.

Speaking at the award presentation ceremony, the Acting Director-General of the Dubai ETO, Mr Leo Poon, highlighted that the Dubai ETO has brought the dragon boat racing to Dubai for the third year not just to share the fun of dragon boat racing with the local community, but also to strengthen cultural ties and social connections between the two communities of Hong Kong and Dubai.

“Hong Kong is not just an international trade hub and financial centre, we are also a dynamic city where East meets West, and home to a multitude of mega events. With the state-of-the-art Kai Tak Sports Park set for grand opening next month, Hong Kong will be hosting more international sports and cultural events, showcasing our city’s remarkable charm,” he added.

The Dubai ETO will continue to organise various events in the member states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf with the aim of deepening exchanges and promoting closer co-operation.

Centre for Health Protection Reports Two Legionnaires' Disease Cases, Urges Public to Maintain Water Systems.

DH announces latest situation of Legionnaires' disease cases

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (January 12) reported the latest number of Legionnaires' disease (LD) cases, and reminded the public of the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

From January 4 to 10, the CHP recorded two community-acquired LD cases. Both patients involved had underlying illnesses. The details of the cases are as follows:

a 70-year-old male patient living in Kwun Tong District; and

a 76-year-old male patient living in Tai Po District.

The CHP is conducting epidemiological investigations to identify potential sources of infection and high-risk exposure. Initial investigations revealed that these are sporadic cases. No epidemiological linkages have been established between these twocommunity-acquired cases and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong.

As of January 10, two LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2025 and 2024, there were 167 and 135 LD cases respectively.

Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpool spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or ships.

Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpool spas, water fountains, humidifiers and home respiratory devices that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

Immunocompromised persons should:

Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;

Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and

If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

The public should observe the health advice below:

Observe personal hygiene;

Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;

Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;

If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) or less and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;

Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;

Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;

Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and

When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

Wear gloves and a face mask;

Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;

Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;

Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and

Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

The public may visit the CHP'sLD page, theCode of Practice for Prevention of LDand theHousekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Managementof the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP'srisk-based strategyfor prevention and control of LD.

Dubai Hosts Hong Kong Dragon Boat Challenge 2025, Celebrating Culture and Strengthening Community Ties

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