On June 18th, GDToday of the Nanfang Media Group published a feature on dragon boat culture in the "Guangdong Special@GBA" page of China Daily. With concise layouts and exquisite hand-drawn illustrations, the feature vividly presented the essence of unity and progressiveness inherent in Guangdong's dragon boat culture. This has garnered widespread attention and praise among foreign readers.
The illustrations feature a cute and auspicious dragon as the main character, with its gaze fixed on two large rice dumplings that embody the Dragon Boat Festival. The dragon seamlessly weaves various elements of the entire picture together. The center of the page depicts a scene of dragon boat racing, where boats of different sizes compete fiercely to win the championship, reflecting the dragon boat spirit of the Guangdong people, characterized by unity, courage, and perseverance. The birds flying towards the center of the page symbolize blessings and goodness. Scenes on the left side show women hanging sachets, while scenes on the right side depict families gathering to wrap rice dumplings, demonstrating the sense of fulfillment and continuous happiness among the people of Guangdong.
The spread consists of four English articles. The main article summarizes the grand event of this year's "longest dragon boat season" in Guangdong, showing the deep affection, inheritance, and innovation of dragon boat culture among the people of Guangdong, as well as the cultural confidence of the younger generation. The article cites the views of professionals and provides suggestions for Guangdong to further develop the dragon boat culture IP. The other articles delve into the international exchange, origin, and innovative development of Guangdong dragon boat culture, as well as the latest progress in the preparations for the dragon boat culture promotion event hosted by GDToday. The four articles are:
Event to offer experience like no other
GDToday, a subsidiary of Nanfang Media Group, will host a dragon boat culture promotion at Liede village in Tianhe district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on June 29, inviting both Chinese and foreign friends to delve into the essence of Guangdong's dragon boat culture.
Dragon boating shows Guangdong's dynamic, enthusiastic spirit
The 2024 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament was held on the Pearl River in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province on Sunday.
Regatta's unstoppable rise pulls people together from across the world
As part and parcel of the annual traditional Duanwu Festival celebrations, dragon boat races are held across China. Recent years have seen a growing international involvement in the traditional boating activities of Guangdong province.
Long history of sport brings cultural significance
Evolving from a folk custom, racing is the most important event during the Dragon Boat Festival in the Lingnan region, which roughly refers to the South China region, including Guangdong province. With a history of more than 1,000 years, its inheritance and development embody folk culture and the spirit of teamwork.
Douglas Dueno, an American on a business trip in Guangzhou, spoke highly of the Guangdong dragon boat culture-themed spread. He said, "I love this layout! The hand-drawn illustrations are eye-catching! The dragon stands as the main element of the illustrations, and the creatively and colorfully designed layout surrounding the dragon boat race is truly impressive. I also found some iconic Guangdong landmarks on the page, adding a touch of brightness to the overall composition."
He further remarked, "As a foreigner, I appreciate this illustration a lot. The scene of the family reunion shows a moment of sharing love and tradition. More importantly, when a unique culture is captured in such an illustration, it truly reflects the charm of Chinese stories and culture."
"Guangdong Special@GBA" is a series of pages jointly operated by GDToday and China Daily, dedicated to sharing captivating stories of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Guangdong with readers at home and abroad through internationalized narative and layout design.
Click to download the entire spread.
