On October 2nd, the 2024 Inaugural F3 Dragon Boat Super League Finals were held at the Guipan Lake in Shunfeng Mountain Park, Shunde District, Foshan, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The finals were divided into three categories: men's 22-person dragon boat, men's 12-person dragon boat, and women's 12-person dragon boat, with a total of 24 teams participating in the competition. Many of these teams have previously won national and international dragon boat championships. Chen Qingchen, the champion of badminton women's doubles at the Paris Olympics, graced the event with her presence, cheering alongside the audience for the "F3" finals.
Are dragon boat races only held during the Dragon Boat Festival? In Foshan, known as the "Hometown of Chinese Dragon Boats" and the first "Chinese Sports City of Lion Dance and Dragon Boat," this is not the case. Taking Jiujiang Town in Nanhai District as an example, dragon boat races start in May and continue through the cool of September, with various competitions held on the eve of National Day each year.
The China Dragon Boat Competition is renowned both domestically and internationally. The "Dragon Boat Drifting" in Diejiao has become a sensation, the Dragon Boat Marathon in Nanzhuang is unique, and the Half-Mountain Dragon Boat racing at Xiqiao Mountain is widely celebrated. According to statistics, Foshan hosts over a thousand dragon boat events annually. This year's F3 Dragon Boat Super League has pioneered a unique super league mechanism, aiming to create the most prestigious dragon boat super league in Foshan.
It is understood that Foshan also uses the F3 event as a platform for participation from all five districts of the city. There are also distinctive themed activities such as the "Dragon Boat Banquet," dragon boat food markets, themed colorful dragon boats, and dragon boat tourism routes, providing citizens and tourists with a "one-stop" cultural and tourism consumption experience that includes eating, watching, appreciating, and playing.
Source: Lingnan on the Cloud
