On June 21, 2025, the passionate gongs unveiled the Three-Person Swallow-Tail Dragon Boat Race on the Beijiang River in Shantang Town, Qingxin District, Qingyuan City.
Originating from the Ming Dynasty, this 1,000-meter endurance boat race usually lasts two hours. Known as the "Marathon on Water," the sport has been included as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage item.
This is the first time that a "China-Foreign Friendship Competition" has been held during the event. Ten international students from Thailand, the Netherlands, and other countries who are studying at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies formed ten teams with local players to participate in the thrilling race.
"This is my first time participating in such a race. The feeling of rushing to the finish line with everyone is unforgettable for life!" said De Wit Boudewijn Pieter (Chinese name: Bao Dewei) from the Netherlands with excitement, who won first place in the competition.
"Three players in one boat work together for the same goal. I enjoy the feeling very much," said Tangpojthaweeporn Jarukit (Chinese name: Chen Jialei), a student from Thailand who ranked fifth. "Shantang Town is beautiful, and the food is also very delicious. I love it so much. I will share the story here on social media when I go back so that more people can see the real China."
On the afternoon of the same day, a traditional dragon boat race and a dragon boat invitation race kicked off in a hot atmosphere. Forty-nine local dragon boat teams and eleven dragon boat teams from outside Shantang competed together, attracting nearly 10,000 spectators along the shore.
It is worth noting that by establishing a dragon boat association and offering free training courses, Shantang Town has attracted more than 1,000 young people to join the dragon boat teams, breathing new life into the traditional skill with a history of over 300 years.
"I used to think that dragon boat rowing was for the older generation, but now I realize that it can also allow us young people to exercise our bodies and find a sense of belonging!" said Lin, a participating player.
At the "Dragon Boat Feast," the rich flavor of local delicacies such as Qingyuan chicken, mandarin fish, and cured meat filled the air.
Shantang Town has about 100 banquet chefs who handle 120,000 banquet orders annually and serve areas covering the Pearl River Delta, Guangxi, and other places.
To promote "Shantang Flavor" nationwide, Shantang Town is currently transforming the vacant former Zhengjiang Primary School into a "Qingxin Banquet Chef" training base to help the banquet industry achieve large-scale and specialized development.
At the event site, the achievement exhibition of the "High-quality Development Project" in Shantang Town was eye-catching. During the signing ceremony of major projects, the local government established cooperation with three enterprises, including Guangdong Chenyu Sporting Goods Co., Ltd., Guangdong Fugui Youyu Aquatic Products Co., Ltd., and Guangdong Xiangxing Yijing Agricultural and Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd., to promote the in-depth integration of "sports + cultural tourism + agriculture."
Editor | Li Lan (intern), Liu Lingzhi, James, Shen He
Photo | Nanfang Plus
