Design Trust Grant Recipient | Exhibition “Marine Arteries – Ma Wan Dragon Boat” by Island Studies Network (HK)

With the recent Dragon Boat Festival, we look back to Design Trust Feature Grant research exhibition “Marine Arteries - Ma Wan Dragon Boat” led by Dr. Leung Po Shan, Anthony of Island Studies Network (HK) presented at Hong Kong Maritime Museum earlier this year. The exhibition featured the cultural history of Ma Wan’s dragon boats from a design perspective, combining artefacts, infographics, and historical documents with a series of public programmes.

Located on the southwestern side of the Kap Shui Mun Channel, Ma Wan is a historic waterway that once connected the Pearl River to the open sea. The dragon boat racing in Southern China, more than a festival, is a custom to ward off epidemics, express gratitude to deities, and reaffirm its local identity. Through exhibition and participatory workshops, the project bridges the gap between dragon boats and spectators, unveiling the cultural and historical layers of the dragon boat practice and its connection to Ma Wan island.

“Marine Arteries - Ma Wan Dragon Boat” by Island Studies Network (HK) Presented at Hong Kong Maritime Museum, courtesy of the grantee.

This project explores the cultural history of Ma Wan’s dragon boats through archival documents, artifacts and vivid illustrations. It reveals the symbolic and functional designs behind dragon boat racing, a tradition celebrated not only as a sport but a profound ritual of worship and a vital expression of local identity. With over 200 years of history as a fishing village, Ma Wan was also home to a Hakka village, demonstrating the diverse cultural and historical narratives of the island. This unique blend of cultural heritage deepens the understanding of the cultural background of Ma Wan dragon boats.

A series of tours and workshops were hosted along the exhibition from February 3^rd to April 20^th 2026 with over 20,000 visitors. 15 creative design of dragon boat pattern have developed from the workshop participants to engage and empower the community to design their own dragon boat, as a contemporary reflection of the rich dragon boat cultural heritage.  The project explored the design and non-design of organic archiving methods for water communities, witnessing how cultural landscape can be preserved amid changing landmarks and coastal lines to ensure traditional cultural practices are passed down and celebrated.