Dragon boat races held in Shanghai, Greater Bay Area to usher in Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon boat races were held in China's Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area over the weekend to usher in the Dragon Boat Festival.

Also known as the Duanwu Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, it falls on May 31.

The 21st Shanghai Suzhou Creek Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament concluded on Sunday, exactly one week before the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday.

A total of 58 dragon boat teams both from home and abroad paddled through the Suzhou Creek's skyscraper-lined waters during the two-day event, marking a new high in the number of participating foreign countries and offering a fresh look at the Chinese culture through the event.

A record 1,078 participants from countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Australia and Malaysia competed in five categories on the Suzhou Creek's downtown stretch flanked by high-rises and parks. The event, first held in 2001, blended traditional sport with modern cityscapes as expatriates and locals paddled side by side.

"We are fascinated by the culture of the Dragon Boat Festival, and I really appreciate the chance to experience the dragon boat race. We want to have a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture," said An De Rademaeker, a member of the Benelux International Dragons Team composed of interns from Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourgian firms in Shanghai.

The 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Maozhou River dragon boat race kicked off on Saturday as Guangdong Province's first provincial-level dragon boat contest this year.

Twenty-four teams raced in men's, women's and Shenzhen-specific divisions along the 500-meter Maozhou River course in the city's Bao'an District, cheered by crowds lining the banks.

The Xinhui Hongdatang Chenpi Dragon Boat Team from Jiangmen, a city in Guangdong, the Hong Kong Women's Team and Yanluo Tangxia Yong Jiangxia Huangshi Team claimed top honors after two hours of intense competition.

"We have won the championship for the third time! First of all, I would like to thank the team members for their hard work and dedication, because the overall level of this competition has improved even more than before," said Liao Changliang, head of Xinhui Hongdatang Chenpi Dragon Boat Team.

"Through this race, we want to show our top-notch competition level. Besides, we also hope to bring some intangible cultural heritage experience to the spectators through the integration of culture, tourism and commerce," said Liu Feng, head of Party-mass Service Center of Yanluo sub-district, Bao 'an District.

Dragon boat races held in Shanghai, Greater Bay Area to usher in Dragon Boat Festival

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests