In celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 10 this year, hundreds of breathtaking dragon boat races are scheduled across Guangdong. Where can you watch the exciting and unique dragon boat races? Here are some recommendations.
Guangzhou
This year, Guangzhou will hold dragon visits and dragon boat races, among other activities. Dragon boat visits and gatherings (龙舟景) are a custom of the Dragon Boat Festival in the Pearl River Delta region. Before the Dragon Boat Festival, villages will send invitations to their counterparts, inviting their dragon boats to have a gathering, which is called "Zhaojing" (招景).
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
Dragon boat scene in Haizhu Wetland (海珠湿地龙船景)
Time: June 8 to 10
Location: Haizhu National Wetland Park, No. 168 Xinjiao Middle Road, Haizhu District(海珠区新滘中路168号海珠国家湿地公园)
Dragon boat gathering at Liede river section (猎德涌招景活动)
Time: June 10
Location: Liede river section, Tianhe District(天河区猎德涌内)
Dragon Boat Invitational Race in Liwan District (2024年荔湾区龙舟邀请赛)
Time: June 11
Location: Shaxi River Section, Guangzhou-Foshan Waterway (广佛水道沙溪河段)
Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament (广州国际龙舟邀请赛)
Time: June 16
Location: Liede river section to the Sun Yat-sen University and Ersha Island sections of the Pearl River (猎德涌出发至中大、二沙岛珠江水域)
Tianhe Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament (天河龙舟邀请赛)
Time: June 29
Location: River along Haixinsha Plaza （海心沙广场）
Baiyun District International Dragon Boat Open Championships(白云区国际龙舟公开赛)
Time: June 11 (9:00 - 17:00)
Location: Donghu Lake of Baiyun Lake (白云湖东湖)
Shenzhen
The adrenaline-pumping races will occur on the waters of Guanlan River, Xinzhou River, Moon Bay and more.
Among these races, the Guanlan River Dragon Boat Race has been a tradition for around 180 years, and the Nan'ao Maritime Dragon Boat Race has a long history of more than 70 years. Additionally, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Dragon Boat Invitational on June 10 will feature 12 dragon boat teams from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
Nanao Maritime Dragon Boat Race (南澳海上龙舟赛)
Time: June 7 to 8
Location: Moon Bay, Nan'ao sub-district, Dapeng District (大鹏南澳月亮湾海域)
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Dragon Boat Invitational (2024粤港澳龙舟邀请赛)
Time: June 10
Location: Tongchuanhui Section of Xinzhou River, Futian District (福田区新洲河同创汇段)
Guanlan River Dragon Boat Race (观澜河龙舟赛)
Time: June 22 to 24 ( T.B.A.)
Location: West of Guanhu Century Square, Guanlan River, Longhua District (龙华区观澜河，观湖世纪广场西侧)
Zhuhai
With a history of more than 200 years, Sanzao Marine Dragon Boat Regatta in Zhuhai is known as the "maritime marathon". The course length of the race is 1 kilometer, and the dragon boats need to make six round trips and determine the winner in a one-round elimination race. Unlike ordinary dragon boat races, the helmsman of Sanzao Marine Dragon Boat Regatta steers the team by beating gongs instead of drums.
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
Sanzao Marine Dragon Boat Regatta (三灶海上龙舟赛)
Time: June 10
Location: Waters in front of Exhibition Hall, east side of Jinwan Road, Jinwan District (金湾区金湾路东侧悦览馆前方海域)
Foshan
With narrow and winding streams and rivers, Diejiao, a township in Guicheng Town, Nanhai District, Foshan provides perfect natural tracks for the action-packed dragon boat drifting race. Usually, a 25-meter-long dragon boat needs to make three sudden turns in the 560-meter-long waterway, which is the most eye-catching part of the whole race.
(Photo provided to GDTdoay)
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
2024 China (Foshan) Diejiao dragon boat drifting race (2024中国(佛山)叠滘龙船漂移大赛)
Shengtang tournament (L-shaped track)
Time: 14:30, June 8
Location: Shengtang Village, Dienan Community, Guicheng Town, Nanhai District (南海区桂城街道叠南社区圣堂村)
Tantou tournament (C-shaped track)
Time: 14:30, June 9
Location: Tantou Village, Dienbei Community, Guicheng Town, Nanhai District (南海区桂城街道叠北社区潭头村)
Dongsheng tournament (S-shaped track)
Time: 14:30, June 10
Location: Dongsheng Village, Dienbei Community, Guicheng Town, Nanhai District (南海区桂城街道叠北社区东胜村)
Chaji tournament (straight track)
Time: 14:30, June 11
Location: Chaji Village, Dienbei Community, Guicheng Town, Nanhai District (南海区桂城街道叠北社区茶基村)
Yangjiang
Yangjiang's distinctive dragon boat race against the current is also worth a visit. The dragon boats are affiliated with local temples or ancestral halls, bearing distinctions of male and female, fostering deep bonds akin to "brothers" and "sisters".
The 2024 Yangjiang (Jiangcheng) dragon boat race against the current is scheduled for June 6, 8 and 10. This year's competition reinstated the iconic feature of Yangjiang dragon boats - a pair of "head helmsmen" (the foremost rowers). The helmsmen have heavier and longer oars, which are required to be lifted high above the rowers’ heads before vigorously plunged into the water, resembling giant scissors. This feature provides the dragon boat with an instant surge of momentum.
(Photo: Yangjiang Fabu)
2024 Yangjiang (Jiangcheng) dragon boat race against the current (2024年阳江(江城)逆水龙舟大赛)
Time: June 6, 8 and 10
Location: Moyang River section in Xilai Community, Jiangcheng District (江城区漠阳江西濑河道)
Zhanjiang
The coastal city of Zhanjiang will hold several maritime dragon boat races. The rowers will ride the waves against the backdrop of blue sea and clear sky, staging a wonderful scene.
(Photo: Nanfang Plus)
Marine dragon boat race in Jianghong Town, Suixi (2024年遂溪县江洪海上龙舟赛)
Time: June 6, 8 and 10
Location: About 170 meters west of Jianghong Town People's Government, Haibin Road, Suixi County (遂溪县海滨路江洪镇政府西侧约170米)
Marine dragon boat race in Wushi Town, Leizhou (2024年雷州市乌石镇龙舟赛)
Time: June 6, 8 and 10
Location: Wushi Town fishing port, Leizhou County-level City (乌石镇码头)
Reporter: Holly
Poster: Mia
Editor: Will, James
