The drumbeats of dragon boat racing and cheering crowds returned to Tai O and Stanley on Friday after a two-year pause.

The Tuen Ng Festival tradition had been suspended due to the pandemic but this year organisers decided to bring back the races, albeit with precautionary measures in place.

"I'm very happy, I haven't raced for a long time. The atmosphere's great," said one dragon boat athlete in Tai O.

"We hadn't really raced in the past two years and it was quite boring," said another.

The races drew both residents of the Lantau fishing town and visitors.

"Kids have been trapped at home for a very long time during the pandemic, I want my children to learn about the tradition of dragon boat racing," said one mother.

Athletes taking part in the Tai O event had to be triple-jabbed and show a negative rapid test result on the day.

They were also required record their presence using the government's LeaveHomeSafe app.

There were also excited dragon boat racers and spectators in Stanley.

Some athletes said they felt it was a bit tough for them to put their face masks back on right after racing, adding that they hadn't been able to get enough training due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, the athletes said they were glad to be back racing with their teammates..