NEW YORK, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The 31st Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, the largest of its kind in the United States, kicked off on Saturday at the Corona Park in New York City's Queens borough with plenty of fanfare.

"We want this dragon boat festival to grow and we want children from all over the entire borough to see the moment of if you row together, then you can learn and grow together," said NYC mayor Eric Adams at the opening ceremony that featured a colorful dragon dance.

"And when you go through this experience of competition, it also routes us and how much we need each other because we had to row out the same method, the same stroke, we had to make sure we moved in the same way, in the same direction. That's what this is about," said Adams.

"It's such a fun and nice way to share culture, to share happiness," said Candy Nip, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York, calling the multicultural festival "amazing on its own" as it has grown to this size and scale in 31 years.

"As the mayor said, this event brings people together, when your row together, you got a chance to learn and appreciate each other. So let's work together and enjoy it together," said Huang Ping, Chinese Consul General in New York.

The two-day event gathered over 160 teams with more than 1,000 rowers from across the United States and Canada this year. And more than 20,000 viewers are expected to cheer for the racers paddling through the water while enjoying performances including music, story telling, and martial arts beside the lake. Enditem

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