Leave it to Asia's world city - Hong Kong - to turn an ancient Chinese festival into a modern sport, an international party and one of the hottest events of the year - the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival.

The Dragon Boat Festival has its origins in a popular legend about the old man Qu Yuan, an official that was so disappointed in his country's government that he drowned himself in protest by jumping in the river. According to the legend, locals rushed to the site, paddling on their boats and banging drums, gongs and everything they could find to frighten away anything that might harm Qu Yuan. Despite their efforts to rescue him, Qu Yuan drowned, so, with the aim of calming the old man's spirit, locals also brought offerings of rice.

The pilgrimage with the long boats, the drumming and the rice became a Chinese tradition, which consists of re-enacting the race to Qu Yuan and has evolved into massive and lively events and the dragon boat races and competitions that characterize the festival of today. This event goes as far back as the third century and it takes place on the fifth day of the fifth Lunar month, normally in May or June.

The tradition has become an international event that attracts thousands of merrymakers, spectators and competitors every year to the stunning Victoria Harbour. While athletes compete in the races, others watch the dragon-shaped human-powered water crafts, or party hard, enjoy cold beer and live entertainment at San Miguel BeerFest.

The trademark of the event are its spirited and colourful dragon boat races, where teams of paddlers race the long narrow boats accompanied by the beat of the drum down to the finish line.

Over 200 international teams from countries such as Germany, Japan, France, Canada, Thailand and the U.S. battle it out in the CCB (Asia) Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, the largest dragon boat event in Asia.

The free San Miguel BeerFest is at UC Centenary Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui East. The celebrations feature a beer drinking contest and a concert with Sodagreen, Sugar Club, Guo Yi, Ma Nine Hsieh & Friends, ToNick, and Kolor.

For the brave at heart who want to try their hand at dragon boating without being athletes or having to train, the event features a temporary dragon boat exhibit at Ocean Terminal Forecourt in Harbour City. During this exhibit, people have the chance to sit in one of three boats and paddle during photo ops.

The best time to see a dragon boat race are on the very day of the Dragon Boat Festival, which also takes place on a National Holiday in Hong Kong. During this day, the many Dragon Boat Associations of the area will hold races all over Hong Kong.

Some of the most popular sites for dragon boat races and are very easy and fascinating places for visitors to get to, include Stanley, Aberdeen, Saikung, Cheung Chau, and Tai O. Fortunately, all events are free to the public.

Hong Kong is know for being a world's city and its cuisine doesn't fall behind. With more than 11,000 restaurants, in Hong Kong you can experience a culinary tour of the flavours of the world.

From traditional Cantonese dim sum restaurants to fancy French bistros, Italian venues, Indian establishments, romantic restaurants and vegetarian cafes, Hong Kong caters to every palate and any occasion.

The setting of the restaurants are a delight in themselves. If you dine at Victoria Peak, you'll have the whole of Hong Kong as your backdrop; but there are also endless of opportunities for a nice view and an unmissable environment such as beside the Harbour in Tsim Sha Tshui or Central, by a cozy plaza, atop a ship, or in a trendy neighbourhood.

Hong Kong might be the Culinary Capital of Asia, but make sure you try the locals specialties before you go, such as Cantonese din sum and seafood. No matter what you try, you won't be disappointed. Here are the best restaurants in Hong Kong:

The most romantic restaurant in Hong Kong is Ambrosia Oyster. Here you can enjoy a stunning street night view through French windows which offers a 270-degree view of Tsim Sha Tsui, including neon signs, traffic, pedestrians, residential buildings, sky and more. Ambrosia Oyster occupies the whole 28th flood on iSquare and the French windows allow maximum sunlight.

The food is just as magnificent. Oyster is a natural aphrodisiac and this restaurant offers numerous selections of premium oyster from France, U.S., Australia, Scotland, Japan and more, making it the ideal place for a romantic dinner.

The address is Shop 2802, 28/F, iSQUARE, 63 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

If you happen to be on a diet or need to follow a special diet when you go to Hong Kong, the best place for healthy food is Urban Health Home Kitchen. The venue brings you special cuisines that consist only of gluten-free good. The restaurant offers home-cooked gluten-free ingredients and at the same time it recreates old dishes with a gluten-free flavour.

The address is 89 Caine Road Flat 5/B, Mid Levels Hong Kong.

If you fancy French dining while you are in Hong Kong, On Lot 10 is a small, casual and basic restaurant which offers world-class French dishes made with fresh and quality ingredients. Indeed, Chef David Lai shops daily in the wet markets and excels at making large family-style platters. Indulge yourself in delicious roast chicken or fish. Other specialties include seafood soup, whole roast foie gras, veal kidneys and sweetbreads.

The address is 34 Gough Street, Central.

For some authentic Chinese food, head to The Chairman, which became famous for its tasting menus. If you visit, try the star dish which is steamed flower crab with aged Shaoxing wine and chicken oil. Other specialties include soy sauce chicken, slow-cooked pork spare ribs and smoked baby pigeon.

The address is 18 Kau U Fong, Central.

Last but not least, dim sum, the star dish, is served in many places all over Hong Kong, but one of the best places to have it after hours is San Hing. The place opens at 3 a.m. but queues start earlier. Here you'll find a wide selection of dim sum, stacked into giant bamboo towers. Other specialties include quail's egg siu mai, deep-fried milk and various seasonal dishes such as osmanthus jelly for the warmer months.

The address is 10 Hau Wo St., Kennedy Town.

Nestled in a valley between Victoria Peak and Mount Kellet, Pokfulam Village is a quaint reminder of Hong Kong's humble origins before she bloomed into the mega-city that she is now. Historically, Pokfulam Village was Hong Kong's first dairy farm which produced milk and cattle for the population.

Sitting on a hillside in the west of Hong Kong island, narrow alleyways and twisting lanes characterize this village that is marked with colonial presence. Bathed with remnants of buildings from the dairy farms, a close-knit community live with their tin-roof and patched up walls. Strict squatter policies is making it hard for squatters to repair their dwellings as they will have to use materials that were registered at the time of the last occupancy survey conducted in the 1980s.

With a historical identity that seems unbeknownst to the city of Hong Kong, this village holds the annual Fire Dragon Dance during the mid-Autumn festival. The first floral emblem of the city, the Hong Kong Orchid Tree was discovered here, and her first reservoir, the Pokfulam Reservoir was built here to accommodate the pressing needs of her citizens. Right now though, this historical village has been placed under the funds of World Monuments Watch which is released biennially.

Under pressure from the urban developers who want to convert the unoccupied dairy farm houses into high-density housing, the Pokfulam Village is at risk of being demolished alongside with its historical identity. The pressing issues of scarce land space and long waiting-list of occupants for housing are now threatening the cultural space of this tiny island – how will the development of Pokfulam Village progress? Will she remain a central identity to Hong Kong, or be demolished and forgotten to fit modernization?

Hong Kong opened up the world's smallest Disney theme park in 2005 and was criticized for being too small – since then, its size has increased by 25%. Now, Disney Hong Kong has made an even bolder move by introducing the very first Marvel edition to a Disney theme park, the Ironman. Unlike other Marvel superheroes, Ironman has gained national popularity in China and this new themed-attraction aims to draw huge crowds from Chinese tourists.

The Ironman themed-attraction is to open in 2016, a year after the opening of Shanghai's Disneyland. The two theme parks will be complementary and act as a driving factor for more tourists to visit the sites. Hailed as the "Ironman Experience", fans would strap themselves onto the ride and fly alongside Ironman across the city of Hong Kong, fighting against evil and villains.

While this move is an obvious attempt to increase profit rate for the floundering Disney park, Disney Hong Kong would have to work extra hard to gain the attention of Chinese tourists as statistics have shown that live entertainment is preferred over thrill-rides, unlike their western counterparts. The show element would have to be central to the new attraction and it shall be worth looking forward to as Disney fans waits for the unveiling of this new addition in Hong Kong.