KU Leuven rowing team in the 10th Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival 2024, Antwerp
The Hong Kong Dragon Festival, one of the largest of its kind in Belgium, had its 10th edition taken place in the beautiful Kattendijkdok of the City of Antwerp on 8 June 2024.
It was organised by Rotary Club Antwerpen West and Rotary Club Antwerp.International. It attracted around 6 000 enthusiastic paddlers and visitors. Over 20 dragon boat teams took part in a full-day racing, including a team from KU Leuven.
The KU Leuven team was proudly sponsored by the BHKS Education Fund to support cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Belgium. Here is the sharing from Suzanna Cuypers, a PhD student (Faculty of Engineering Technology) in the KU Leuven team:
"The event is not just a competition. It’s first of all a team building exercise and a cultural exchange opportunity. Our diverse team had a common goal and the most important thing in a dragon boat is team spirit and working in sync. The festival was big fun for everyone! We learned about Hong Kong culture and language from the Hong Kong booth, and meeting the amazing rowing teams from Hong Kong was incredible."
