NSW: Dragon boats wrap up Chinese New Year festival
SYDNEY, Feb 16 AAP - A spectacular dragon boat festival at Sydney's Darling Harbourwill signal a colourful finale to the city's Chinese New Year festival this weekend.
Seventy Chinese dragon boats and more than 100 crews will start racing in Cockle Baythis morning for five major cups, in men's, women's, mixed, youth and corporate events.
Taoist priests will perform a traditional ceremony this morning to awaken and blessthe dragon boats before they begin.
More than 100,000 people gathered to watch the event last year, and the NSW Premier'sspecial adviser on East Asia business, Henry Tsang, said the the races had become a majorpart of the state's tourism calendar, injecting up to $80 million into the economy.
Thousands of families from mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwanare arriving in Sydney to celebrate the occasion, and most are first-time visitors toAustralia, he said.
"They are affluent tourists, spending almost four times a Japanese tourist," Mr Tsangsaid in a statement.
"China has a fast-growing middle class which is now travelling overseas."
The dragon boat competition will run from 9am to 5pm (AEDT) both days of this weekend.
AAP kp/sjk
KEYWORD: CHINESE NSW
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