Dragon boat teams race on Seine River

A dozen dragon boat teams from China, France and other Asian and European countries and regions raced on the Seine River in Paris on Sunday to celebrate the Duanwu or Dragon Boat Festival, exciting local residents in Chinese cultural vibes. The annual festival on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar Chinese calendar fell on Saturday this year. It is a time to get rid of misfortune as venomous animals were believed to appear at this juncture. It is also a time to commemorate the beloved Chinese poet Qu Yuan (339-278 BC) from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the Dragon Boat Festival on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, making it the first Chinese festival to be included in the list.

As the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival have spread from China to the world, the traditional Chinese sport of dragon boat racing, which is an iconic activity held across China during this festival, has also set sail across the globe, demonstrating the spirit of unity and striving forward in traditional Chinese culture.

During this year's Dragon Boat Festival, many countries have held dragon boat racing events, with the drumbeat echoing in the waters.

A dozen dragon boat teams from China, France and several other countries and regions in Asia and Europe competed on the Seine River in Paris on Sunday, marking the third consecutive year that Paris has hosted such an event.

According to the competition rules, each team must have at least two female paddlers.

"I took part in this dragon boat race because it reminds me of the vibes of the Dragon Boat Festival I felt in China when I was a child, with dragon boat racing, zongzi (a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves), and various activities, which made me feel as if I had returned to my hometown. Moreover, it's a great moment to experience the charm of our traditional Chinese culture abroad," said Wu Xueyi, a paddler of the Chinese dragon boat team.

"This event has allowed us to truly immerse ourselves in Chinese culture, learn a lot of things, and also feel the warmth of the people. After getting off the boat, everyone would high-five to celebrate. The atmosphere during the competition has been fantastic, even it was held here in France. Dragon boat racing is rapidly developing in France," said Beatrice, a contestant of the French dragon boat team.

During last year's Paris Olympics, dragon boat racing made a stunning show as a demonstration sport, presenting the charm of this traditional Chinese sport to audiences from around the world. The dragon boat racing has further drawn international attention and become more internationally influential.

For days around the Dragon Boat Festival this year, Serbia, Germany, Argentina, Britain, South Africa, Peru,Poland, New Zealand and many other countries have held dragon boat races and cultural exchange events.

Dragon boat teams race on Seine River

Dragon boat teams race on Seine River

The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.

The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.

Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.

"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.

Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.

Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.

"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.

Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight