In the Lingnan area, with dense rivers and lakes, the dragon boat race is one of the most popular sports among locals. In celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 22 this year, various breathtaking dragon boat races will be held across Guangdong, creating a festive vibe.
Guangzhou
Dragon Boat Scene (龙舟景) is a custom of the Dragon Boat Festival in the Pearl River Delta region. For example, each year on the third day of the fifth lunar month on the Chinese lunar calendar, Guangzhou's Chebei village observes its "Zhaojing Day" (“招景”日), a day when the village starts to invite dragon boat teams from neighboring villages to race in Chebei.
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
In addition, the 2023 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament, a highly anticipated dragon boat event, will be held on June 17, attracting a total of 125 dragon boat teams and nearly 5,000 athletes.
2019 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament (Photo: Nanfang Daily)
2023 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament (2023年广州国际龙舟邀请赛)
Time: June 17
Add.: Pearl River section between the North Gate Square of Sun Yat-sen University and the Guangzhou Bridge (中大北门广场至广州大桥之间的珠江河段)
Traditional dragon boat culture festival of Xian Village (冼村龙船传统文化节)
Add.: Xingsheng Gate, Zhujiang Park, Tianhe District (天河区珠江公园兴盛门)
Chebei Dragon Boat Scene: Zhaojing Day (车陂龙舟景：龙舟招景日)
Time: 9:30-14:00, June 20
Add.: Guanlong observation deck, Chebei Village, Tianhe District (天河区车陂村观龙台)
Dragon boat invitational tournament in Tianhe District (天河区标准龙舟邀请赛)
Time: Start at 14:00 on June 23
Add.: Chebei river section in Chebei Village, Tianhe District (天河区车陂涌车陂村河段)
Dragon boat scene in Haizhu Wetland (2023第五届海珠湿地龙船景)
Time: June 21-24
Add.: The water of Ailian Pavilion along Shiliugang River, the second phase of the Haizhu Wetland, Haizhu District (海珠区海珠湿地二期石榴岗河爱莲亭水域)
Dragon boat invitational tournament in Liwan District & 58th Longxi Shaxi dragon boat scene (荔湾区龙舟邀请赛暨龙溪沙溪第58届龙舟景)
Time: 13:00, June 23
Add.: Shaxi village river reach of Huadi River, Liwan District (荔湾区花地河沙溪河面)
Dragon boat invitational tournament in Baiyun District (白云区龙舟邀请赛)
Add.: East Lake of Baiyun Lake Park, Shijing Avenue, Baiyun District (白云区石井大道白云湖公园东湖)
Foshan
A river with an average width of six meters, a hull length of over 25 meters, a dragon boat with about 50 people, the beating of drums, and several types of racing tracks: S-shaped, C-shaped, L-shaped, and straight... Every year around the Dragon Boat Festival, an action-packed dragon boat drifting race will be held in Diejiao, a township in Guicheng Town, Nanhai District, Foshan.
Dragon boat drifting races in Diejiao in previous years (Video footage provided to GDToday)
Dragon boat drifting race in Diejiao dates back to the Ming Dynasty, over 500 years ago. Most of the streams and rivers there are narrow and winding, and the boat's crew need to make some sudden turns during the races without any mistakes, so the races are breathtakingly exciting.
(Photo provided to GDToday)
Diejiao dragon boat drifting race(叠滘龙船漂移系列赛)
Time: 14:30-17:30, June 22 ( Dongsheng tournament & Shengtang tournament); 14:30-17:30, June 23 (Tantou tournament & Chaji tournament)
Add.: Dongsheng Village and Tantou Village in Diebei Community & Shengtang Village and Chaji Village in Dienan Community, Guicheng Town, Nanhai District (南海区桂城街道叠北社区东胜村、潭头村，叠南社区圣堂村、茶基村)
Shenzhen
The adrenaline-pumping races will take place on the waters of Guanlan River, Dasha River, Moon Bay and more. Among these races, the Guanlan River Dragon Boat Race is scheduled to be held from June 18 to 20, and it has been a tradition to hold dragon boat races on the river for around 180 years.
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
Additionally, the 2023 First Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Maritime Dragon Boat Race (Nan'ao, Shenzhen), originally called Nan'ao Maritime Dragon Boat Race, will be held on June 20 and 21. As the only maritime dragon boat race in Shenzhen, the race has a long history of more than 70 years. Furthermore, this year's race will feature various events, including traditional cultural performances and themed carnivals.
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
Guanlan River Dragon Boat Race (观澜河龙舟赛)
Add.: In front of Guanhu Century Square, Guanlan River, Longhua District (龙华区观澜河, 观湖世纪广场前)
2023 First Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Maritime Dragon Boat Race (Nan'ao, Shenzhen) (2023首届粤港澳大湾区海上龙舟赛（深圳南澳）)
Time: June 20-21
Add.: Sea area of Moon Bay, Nan'ao sub-district, Dapeng District (大鹏南澳月亮湾海域)
2023 Dasha River Ecological Corridor dragon boat invitational tournament (2023大沙河生态环长廊龙舟邀请赛)
Time: June 22
Add.: Dasha River, Nanshan District (南山区大沙河)
Zhuhai
Century-old 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: WeChat official account of the publicity department of Zhuhai's Jinwan District)
Sanzao Marine Dragon Boat Regatta (三灶海上龙舟赛)
Add.: Sea area 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)
Jiangmen
(Photo: Pengjiang Fabu)
2023 Tangxia dragon boat fair (2023棠下端午龙舟会)
Add.: River section of Tiansha River in Pengjiang District (Hua'an Road - Huasheng Road) (蓬江区天沙河段, 华安路—华盛路)
Liyue dragon boat festival (礼乐龙舟节)
Time: The afternoon of June 22
Add.: River section of Zhangwei River in Wusi Village, Liyue Sub-district, Jianghai District (江海区礼乐街道张围河五四村河段)
Dragon boat cultural festival of Daze Town (2023年大泽镇第四届龙舟文化节)
Time: June 19-22
Add.: Daze Dragon Boat Culture Park, Xinhui District (新会区大泽龙舟文化公园)
Dragon boat cultural festival of Siqian Town (司前镇第七届（2023）龙舟文化节)
Time: June 22
Add.: Dragon Boat Lake Park, Siqian Town, Xinhui District (新会区司前镇龙舟湖公园)
Kaiping dragon boat invitational tournament (开平市龙舟邀请赛)
Time: June 22
Add.: In front of the Century Ship, Tanjiang River watercourse, Kaiping county-level city (开平市区潭江河道, 世纪之舟前)
Heshan dragon boat cultural season (鹤山龙舟文化季活动)
Time: June 20-21
Add.: Shengping river section in Dragon Boat Park, Gulao town, Heshan county-level city (鹤山市古劳镇升平河龙舟公园)
Yangjiang
Unlike the general downstream or still-water dragon boat race, the dragon boat race in Jiangcheng District of Yangjiang City races upstream against the water, and this special tradition has a history of over 200 years.
(Photo: Yangjiang Fabu)
2023 Yangjiang (Jiangcheng) dragon boat race against the current (2023年阳江（江城）逆水龙舟大赛)
Time: June 18, 20 and 22 (Luminous dragon boat parade will be held from June 20-22)
Add.: Moyang River section in Xilai Community, Jiangcheng District (江城区漠阳江西濑河道)
Dragon boat show (2023年汕头农行杯龙舟展演活动)
Time: June 18
Add.: Haiming Park, Chenghai District (澄海区海明公园)
Zhanjiang
Suixi dragon boat cultural festival & marine dragon boat invitational tournament in Jianghong Town (遂溪县龙舟文化节暨江洪镇“汉柏杯”海上龙舟邀请赛)
Time: June 22-24
Add.: Jianghong fishing port & Xiaokou Beach, Jianghong Town, Suixi County (遂溪县江洪渔港码头、笑口滩)
Dragon boat race in Lianjiang's Anpu (2023廉江安铺“星海杯”龙舟赛)
Time: June 22-24
Add.: Anpu Town, Lianjiang county-level city (廉江安铺镇)
Zhaoqing
Traditional dragon boat race in Zhaoqing's Jinli (2023年中国・肇庆（金利）传统龙舟大赛暨广东省传统龙舟公开赛)
Time: June 18
Add.: Xiwei river section in Jinli Town, Gaoyao District (高要区金利镇西围涌)
Author: Holly
Poster: Mia
Editor: Olivia, Monica, Jerry
