As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, a major competition kicked off in Fuzhou City on June 13, east China's Fujian Province, bringing together more than 30 teams from Hong Kong, Macao SARs, Taiwan Region, and Fujian Province to compete on the same stage, fully demonstrating the cohesion and influence of traditional Chinese dragon boat culture.
The competition, called The 2026 Surging Dongjiang Lake Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament, was held on the waters of Dongjiang Lake Park in Fuzhou New District (Changle District).
The Dragon Boat Festival, on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month (June 19 this year), is a major Chinese holiday, often featuring dragon boat races.
In the special invitation group, the Matsu Dragon Boat Team, the Hong Kong Elite Dragon Boat Team, the Macao Youth Dragon Boat Team, and a joint team of overseas Chinese and international friends competed in 100-meter and 200-meter straight-course sprint races.
The athletes swung their arms and paddled with all their strength, their oars flashing through the air as they vied to be first.
"From the initial contact, to later becoming interested, and then to falling in love with it, the atmosphere of this competition is very good. You can hear the spectators' cheering at the competition venue. The local food is also particularly delicious. We especially love eating fish balls," said a member from the Hong Kong Elite Dragon Boat Team named Lee Shu-yin.
On the day of the competition, a cultural and creative market and a Fujian Cuisine Food Carnival were simultaneously launched on site, showcasing local cultural and creative craftsmanship and specialty products.
During the tournament, Fuzhou New District (Changle District) also launched a series of supporting "Dragon Boat Month" activities, among which the special "All-Region Dragon Boat Banquet" will continue until June 28.
Dragon boat teams compete in Fuzhou
