International teams show up at dragon boat race in south China's Shenzhen

For the first time ever, international teams showed up at the 2026 Guanlan River Dragon Boat Race held in south China's tech hub of Shenzhen City on Friday and Saturday, with the intense competitions arousing great interest from both local residents and tourists.

Amid the thunderous beat of drums and roar of cheering crowds at the venue, the 824 rowers from 44 Chinese and international dragon boat teams took to the water for one of the southern Chinese city's most anticipated annual races.

The teams joining the race featured squads from the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, as well as other countries such as Russia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Beyond the competitions, a dragon boat folk festival was held simultaneously along the riverfront, offering the spectators a mix of traditional culture, interactive sports, family activities and shopping experiences.

International teams show up at dragon boat race in south China's Shenzhen

Two black-necked cranes were caught on film in Qilian County, northwest China's Qinghai Province, with one courting the other on the county's sprawling Mole Grassland.

The footage captured by an amateur photographer shows the cranes strolling together in the grass. The male tries to catch the female's eye by bobbing its head, making a detour, and changing standing positions.

The male also performed various poses and spread its wings to dance. However, all the attempts failed to get into the good graces of the companion. At last, the crane gave up the courtship display.

Black-necked cranes are under national first-class protection in China and a flagship species of the plateau wetland ecosystem.

Black-necked crane attempts to attract companion in Qinghai