Thrilling dragon boat races spark festivities in China's Guangdong, Chongqing

Thrilling dragon boat races enlivened celebrations in south China's Guangdong Province, as communities across China embrace the spirit of the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival with vibrant competitions and cultural festivities.

In Jieyang City, Guangdong Province, more than 800 paddlers showcased a breathtaking mix of speed, strength, and teamwork as they raced traditional handmade dragon boats along the Deqiao River on Sunday.

"We have a total of 16 dragon boats and 850 paddlers participating in the race. The scale is the largest ever. We hold this event to let more people know about the dragon boat culture in Deqiao Township," said Chen Hongjie, an organizer of the dragon boat race.

Teams performed high-skill maneuvers such as drifting through turns, rapid starts, and sharp U-turns in narrow waterways.

"I came from Guiling Township to watch this race participated by 16 dragon boats. It is indeed an exciting and stunning event," said a spectator.

In Shenzhen City,Guangdong Province, people flocked to Guanlanhe River on Monday to watch an intense dragon boat race. Spectators could also explore a 100-meter-long street market along the river to buy a variety of local cultural products.

In Wushan County, Chongqing Municipality, a dragon boat culture and art week kicked off on Sunday, featuring dragon boat races, dragon dances, drum performances and water show.

Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, traditionally falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It falls on this Saturday this year.

During the festival, people enjoy activities such as dragon boat races and eating Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, who was also a minister of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period (475 BC-221 BC).

Construction of the fifth phase of Guangzhou Port's Nansha Port area, one of the major national projects, commenced in Nansha District of Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Friday.

The project is designed with an annual container throughput capacity of 6.7 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), according to the Guangzhou Port Group.

It has four deep-water berths, each capable of accommodating 200,000-ton container vessels, with a combined shoreline exceeding 3,800 meters.

Upon completion of the Phase V project, the total container throughput capacity of the Nansha Port area is expected to reach 35 million TEUs annually. This would place it among the world's leading single port complexes in terms of handling capacity, further solidifying Guangzhou's status as an international shipping hub.