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From May 31 to June 1, 2025, the Grand Excelsior Port Royal Hotel (formerly Morgan’s Harbour) played host to an exhilarating and historic event: Jamaica’s inaugural Dragon Boat Festival. Under a sky veiled by Saharan dust with heat shimmering off the Kingston Harbour, the world’s seventh largest natural harbour, locals and foreigners alike gathered in Port Royal to witness and celebrate the country’s entry into a centuries-old global tradition. It’s always exciting when new events are added to Jamaica’s cultural calendar, so I made the trip to Port Royal to catch a few hours on day 2 of the festival. Here are the history and highlights of this inaugural staging.
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History of the Chinese in Jamaica & Dragon Boat Racing
The Jamaica Dragon Boat Festival is a cultural and sporting event hosted by the Chinese Benevolent Association which was established in 1891, in partnership with the newly formed Jamaica Dragon Boat Federation. Rooted in centuries-old Chinese tradition, dragon boating is a dynamic team water sport that combines athleticism, community and cultural heritage. Initially a ritual to appease the water gods and ensure good crops, dragon boat racing evolved into a festival commemorating the death of Qu Yuan, a beloved poet. It requires team members to paddle in complete synchrony to the beating of a drum in the bow of the boat. Dragon boat racing is now an established sport practiced in more than 75 countries, including the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas.
Chinese presence in Jamaica dates back to 1854 when the first Chinese indentured labourers came to replace the newly emancipated Africans on the sugar plantations. Chinese descendants currently comprise less than 2% of the island’s population, and their presence is mainly felt in the island’s culinary scene, haberdasheries and wholesales. Thus, dragon boat racing adds another dimension to Chinese legacy in Jamaica and aims to foster cross-cultural understanding of China’s rich history and traditions in Jamaica. The inaugural festival has garnered support from the Jamaican Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, the Chinese Embassy and the Jamaica Defense Force.
Jamaica’s Dragon Boat Festival
Grand Excelsior Port Royal HotelHeld across two days, the festival began at 10:30am until. Teams were arranged by level of experience and gender, with the slowest team in each race removed until a winner emerged in the finals. The medals up for grabs were gold, silver and bronze. Each race features long, elaborately decorated boats crewed by synchronized paddlers, guided by a drummer who sets the rhythm, and a steersperson who keeps the boat on course. Teams from local community groups, corporate entities, and even a few regional guests came out to participate, many experiencing the sport for the first time.
On day one, volunteers from the audience even had a chance to test out the boat, and samples of lotus sticky rice were given out to the crowd. According to legend, lotus sticky rice is traditionally thrown into the water to appease Qu Yuan’s spirit and to keep fish from consuming his body. Day two began under sweltering conditions with the sun bearing down and the air thick with haze from the Saharan Dust, but the atmosphere was electric. The air was filled with a faint beat of drums, cheers from the shoreline, an enthusiastic lively MC and the rhythmic splash of paddles. This created a scene unlike any other in Jamaica’s sporting calendar. A light drizzle eventually cooled the air and brought welcome relief, but– it was HOT!
Food and Festivities– Room for Improvement
The main spectacle was watching the colorfully decorated boats make it to the finish line, but a natural part of any Jamaican festival is the food. Unfortunately, the options were severely lacking. Crowd-pleasers like crispy wings, fries, beef sliders, soft drinks and Red Stripe beer were on sale, but no Chinese food or drink options were available.
- In my opinion, this was a missed opportunity to expand our palate with Chinese food & beer.
- The lunch break dragged on for an uncomfortably long time, and seats were very limited or “reserved” by patrons for guests who never showed during my four hours at the event. Thus, my friends and I were forced to eat our sliders and have our beers standing up.
- More tents were also needed. Without a hat or umbrella, you’d be completely wiped out! Thank God for my hat. Also, an earlier start time would guarantee cooler temperatures.
I’d love to see kinks like these ironed out for future events. Aside from that, the festival holds a lot of promise. There are already talks of expanding the competition, inviting more regional teams and building local capacity. Given Jamaica’s strong sporting culture and love for the water, it’s likely that dragon boat racing will find a lasting home here.
Wrap Up
Jamaica, known for its sporting excellence and vibrant culture, was the perfect venue for another Caribbean dragon boat festival. The festival in Port Royal marked a significant milestone in integrating the island into this exciting and unifying international tradition and opens new doors for athletic development, tourism and cultural exchange. It aligns well with the country’s focus on wellness tourism and its rich maritime heritage. After all, the harbour town of Port Royal, once known as the “wickedest city on Earth,” has recently succeeded in its bid for UNESCO World Heritage Site status and will bring Jamaica’s count to two such sites, the first being the Blue & John Crow Mountains. What do you think of Jamaica’s inaugural dragon boat festival? Sound off in the comments section below!
If you enjoyed this post, you’d also like:
- German Influence in Jamaica
- Spanish Influence in Jamaica
- 8 Things to do in Port Royal
- Visiting Jamaica’s Chinese Garden
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