The 2019 Multicultural and Dragon Boat Festival took place on June 2 to celebrate its namesake holiday at Forest Lake in Brisbane, Australia. A total of 19 Taiwanese and Australian teams competed in the longstanding racing tradition.

Holding the national flags of ROC (Taiwan) and Australia, President of the Hakka Association of Queensland Australia Chen Yung-he (陳永和) and former President Huang De-chuan (黃得泉) led all the contenders in entering the venue. Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane Director-General Bruce Hong (洪振榮) then performed the eye-dotting ritual for the dragon boats to pray for smooth sailing.

Adrian Schrinner, the lord mayor of Brisbane City, thanked members of the association and residents in local communities for their active participation. Director-General Hong noted that the festival aims to share different cultural values regardless of age, race, or religion. He was grateful to the association for organizing ten editions of the festival so far, which show how Taiwanese immigrants have integrated harmoniously with Australian society.

President Chen sincerely thanked guests from the political sphere, leaders from expatriate communities, and sponsors from all walks of life. He stated that the Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most important celebratory events of the year for the Taiwanese people.

The race has been held for a decade in Brisbane, aiming not only to pass down cultural traditions, but also to transcend national and racial barriers, Chen added. He hopes that, with continued support from both private and public sectors, the association will find more innovative and multicultural ways to hold the annual festival.

Milton Dick MP, Leanne Enoch MP, Peter Russo MP, Duncan Pegg MP, and Councilors Angela Owen, Charles Strunk, Kim Marx, and Steven Huang also joined the festivities, giving their recognition of the efforts made by the association. The festival represents the spirit of friendship and cooperation among the Hakkas and all ethnic groups in Australia.