It’s that time of the year again: when the ‘dragons’ are unleashed upon rivers throughout the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong and China at large. Below, we’ve selected some of the best-known and adrenaline-pumping races to watch in our fair province.
Guangzhou
Jun 16-18: Guangzhou Wetland Park Dragon Boat Festivity
Various teams from Guangzhou, including the Guangzhou Dragons, will be paddling on the lake inside Haizhu Wetland Park this Dragon Boat Festival on June 18, while from June 16 to 17, a wide range of themed activities will be held, including the environmentally-oriented Pearl River Open Day.
Jun 16-18. 9am-3pm. Haizhu Wetland Park, Haizhu District, Guangzhou.
Jun 18: Liede Dragon Boat Festivity
Leide village hosts one of Guangzhou’s largest festivities, happening at the Liede canal on June 18. This is a must-attend event for anyone in the Zhujiang New Town area.
Jun 18. Leide canal (along Leide Lu by Exit B of Leide Metro Station), Tianhe District, Guangzhou.
Jun 23: Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Racing Tournament
This year’s tournament will again be held on the section of the Pearl River between the North Gate of Sun Yat-sen University and the Guangzhou Bridge. There will be traditional dragon boats and sporting-standard dragon boats competing, alongside a variety of colorful parades. Last year, the Pearl River saw a total of 130 dragon boat teams and about 5,000 athletes, with teams from around the world contending for the championship against squads from all over Guangdong. So come on out and cheer for the home team: the Guangzhou Dragons!
Jun 23, 8am. North Gate of Sun Yat-sen University, Haizhu District, Guangzhou.
Foshan
Jun 18-21: Diejiao Dragon Boat Drifting Race
There will be four races going on during the Diejiao Dragon Boat Drifting Race at Dongsheng village of Foshan, well-known for its winding waterway. It’s truly a spectacle to behold when the 25-meter-long boats snake along the narrow canal.
Jun 18-21, 2.30-5.30pm. Dongsheng village, Nanhai District, Foshan.
Dongguan
Jun 25: Shatian Dragon Boat Race
The town of Shatian in Dongguan is billed as ‘a home of dragon boat’ and has won many titles in races held throughout China. Local teams are scheduled to compete on Shatian Freshwater Lake on June 25 this year.
Jun 25. Danshui Hu (freshwater lake), Shatian Town, Dongguan.
Jiangmen
Jun 16-17: Gulao Water Village Dragon Boat Race
Having been held for 300 years, the dragon boat races in Jiangmen’s Gulao Water Village attract a mass of onlookers to the small village. A total of 22 local teams are set to participate in some exhilarating races from June 16 to 17.
Jun 16-17. Gulao Water Village, Heshan, Jiangmen.
Huizhou
Jun 18: Huicheng District Dragon Boat Race
Staring at 8.30am at the Jinshan Lake Park in Huicheng District, this annual district-level race will see 18 male teams and seven female teams compete for the first place spot.
Jun 18, 8.30am. Jinshan Lake Park, Huicheng District, Huizhou
Zhongshan
Jun 16-18: Great Bay Area Dragon Boat Race
Dragons will splash in the water of Zhongshan’s Qi River, as a medley of boats compete in the ‘2018 Great Bay Area Dragon Boat Race.’ A total of 40 teams from around Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau will race over three days from June 16 to 18.
Jun 16-18, Dragon Boat Cultural Park, Zhongshan.
Hong Kong
Jun 18: Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships 2018
The Stanley International Dragon Boat Championship is one of the largest and most prominent dragon boat races in the world, with some 200 local and international teams participating in the action-packed, high caliber races. Expect a big crowd of spectators.
Jun 18, 8am-5pm. Stanley Main Beach, Stanley, Hong Kong.
Jun 22-24: Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races
Coinciding with the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival and Beerfest, the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races are taking place on the choppy waters of Victoria Harbour against the backdrop of a world-class skyline. Join the Hongkongers on home turf and make a party out of this ancient Chinese festival!
Jun 22-24, 12.30pm. Central Harbourfront Event Space, Lung Wo Road, Central, Hong Kong.
Macau
Jun 16-18: Macao International Dragon Boat Races
This year’s Macao International Dragon Boat Races will see teams from Hong Kong, Japan, the US, the Philippines, China, Thailand, Singapore, Korea and Australia compete. The Macau races have been promoting the modality of dragon boating and have grown to become a grand-scale sporting event, attracting athletes from around the world. The first two days will see local teams compete in the 200- and 500-meter races, while international teams will compete on the third and final day.
Jun 16-18, 9am. Nam Van Lake Nautical Center, Macau.
READ MORE: Making and Racing Dragon Boats in the PRD
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