TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Around 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning (June 9) an adventurous crew of 18 sailed a dragon boat out to sea, setting off from Xinghai Fishing Port (興海漁港) in Pingtung County, headed for Orchid Island of Lanyu (蘭嶼) about 70 km southeast of Taiwan’s main island.
The event is jointly organized by the Dragon Overtime Dragon Boat Team (泛非龍龍舟隊) from Hong Kong , and the Lanyu Environmental Education Association (蘭嶼環境教育協會). This year’s crew is composed of 14 visitors from Hong Kong and four Taiwanese citizens.
If the seas are calm, the boat is expected to reach Orchid Island by about 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon.
Coinciding with the holiday weekend celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival, the team of sailors hopes to get a taste of sea travel as people experienced it in the pre-modern era. The cultural activity is also intended to raise awareness of conservation and environmental education in Taiwan and abroad.
The 18 meter dragon boat being sailed for this year’s trip was crafted over the previous year, and has been decorated with images of marine life along its body.
UDN reports that last year’s trip from Pingtung to Orchid Island, which was launched on May 13, 2018, was unsuccessful because of heavy waves encountered after leaving Pingtung. This year however, the team is even more determined to make it to their destination.
There will be an escort boat following the dragon boat to help ensure the crew’s safety in the event of any accidents or inclement weather.
(Photo from 邸 Tai Dang Facebook page)
