Photos: Taiwan's dragon boat races among few to be held this year

Although the race went ahead in Taipei, supporters were not allowed to attend

Published: June 27, 2020 12:44 AP and Compiled by Balaram Menon, Digital Content Editor

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Teams compete during the Dragon Boat Festival in Taipei. Taiwan became one of the few places to hold a boat race, thanks to no local transmissions of the coronavirus being reported on the island in over two months. Image Credit: REUTERS

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The pandemic led to the cancellation of traditional dragon boat races in Hong Kong and of holiday activities in Beijing, which is battling a fresh outbreak. Image Credit: REUTERS

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In Taipei, around 80 teams gathered at the Dajia Riverside Park to compete under the scorching sun in the two-day race, which features boats festooned with decorative dragon imagery. Image Credit: REUTERS

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"You're not worrying about somebody on the side (giving) you COVID-19 because everywhere you go, they check your temperature," said Farrouck Ruiz, a 20-year-old Nicaraguan student who studies at Mingchuan University in Taipei and took part in the race. Image Credit: AP

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The competitors did not wear masks during the races. They were given hand sanitisers and their hands and rows were sprayed with alcohol before they started rowing. Image Credit: AP

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Although the race went ahead in Taipei, supporters were not allowed to attend. Image Credit: REUTERS

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"Our team has been training for a whole year just for this race," said Lydia Lee, who works in digital marketing. "But they do not allow supporters in, and we thought that takes out part of the fun." Image Credit: AP

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Dragon boat crew members cheer Image Credit: AP

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A boat leader reaches out to grab finish line flag Image Credit: AP

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Image Credit: REUTERS

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Image Credit: REUTERS

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Image Credit: AP

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Image Credit: AP

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Photos: Taiwan's dragon boat races among few to be held this year

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