Festival-themed events across China celebrate Dragon Boat Festival

China

Festival-themed events across China celebrate Dragon Boat Festival

2025-06-02 23:58 Last Updated At：06-03 04:37

Boat racing and cultural performances were held across China during the three-day holiday of the Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu Festival.

The annual festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar Chinese calendar, fell on Saturday this year. The festival honors the beloved Chinese poet Qu Yuan (339-278 B.C.) from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.).

Forty-four dragon boat teams from Yanhe Tujia Autonomous County in southwest China's Guizhou Province staged a traditional dragon boat race upstream on the Wujiang River.

Each team battled fiercely on the 500-meter course to the sounds of drums and cheers ringing out from both banks. Among the participating teams, the only two women's teams stood out, showcasing an impressive spirit.

"Our team was established only this year. We have trained for over 20 days. It was very challenging for us during the dragon boat rowing, but we are very happy. Our ultimate goal is to showcase the presence of women," said Ren Hongfei, leader of the women's dragon boat team from the Heping Sub-district in Yanhe Tujia Autonomous County.

In Hangzhou City in east China's Zhejiang Province, over 80 uniquely shaped dragon boats raced on the Yuhangtang River. The local competition rules do not prioritize speed, but instead use the height of the splashes as a standard for evaluation, with the highest splashes receiving the accolades.

Fu Yuanhui, a Chinese world champion swimmer, was invited to the event and experienced the dragon boat race in person.

"We strive to promote dragon boat culture to more young people and to those who are not yet familiar with it, encouraging everyone to participate more in this wonderful cultural tradition," said Fu.

During the festival, about 100,000 visitors enjoyed delicious river snail dishes and watched dragon-themed performances in "Luosi Town" in Hengxi Village in east China's Jiangxi Province.

Inner Mongolia section of Yellow River enters stable ice period after 48 days

The Bayannur section of the Yellow River in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region became fully frozen as of 07:00 Sunday, officially entering its stable winter ice period.

Freezing of the river commenced on December 4, 2025, but repeated thawing and refreezing driven by temperature fluctuations and higher water flow postponed a full, stable freeze-over. The entire process lasted 48 days, 29 days longer than the previous year, making it the longest freezing period for this section in recent years.

In response to the extended and volatile freezing process, local authorities in Bayannur City and districts along the river have intensified their ice-jam prevention efforts. Officials have been conducting thorough inspections to identify and manage any potential obstacles within the river channel that could contribute to dangerous ice dams.

To ensure safety and stability during the frozen season, a 24-hour monitoring and patrol system has been implemented along the riverbanks to watch for any signs of ice-related hazards.