The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday which occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. the holiday is celebrated by holding dragon boat races and eating sticky rice dumplings called zongzi. Dragon boat racing is one of the most popular activities during the Dragon Boat Festival. Initially held to commemorate Qu Yuan, dragon boat races have evolved into grand events held worldwide.

Dragon boat races are an exciting water sport that originated in ancient China. Teams of 20-40 paddlers synchronize their paddles, following the rhythm of a drummer at the front. The long, slender boats are adorned with dragon heads. This sport combines athleticism, teamwork, and cultural heritage.

Good news! The long-awaited Guanlan River Dragon Boat Race is finally coming back. The Guanlan River Dragon Boat Race is scheduled to take place from June 18 to 20, 2023 (tentative date) at Guanlan River in Longhua District. (The race will be held in the section of the river between the Government Bridge and Renmin Bridge.)

The Guanlan River Dragon Boat Race is not only a local event in Longhua, but also one of the top ten brand events in Shenzhen. It has been attracting wide attention.

This year, a total of 68 teams participated in the competition. Thecompetition has invited 16 professional dragon boat teams from both domestic and international regions, including teams from Singapore, Malaysia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and other countries. Another highlight of the event is the presence of two women's teams in the community category. It will be an eagerly anticipated event as the women's team competes alongside the men's team.

The official competition will take place from June 18 to 20. On June 18, the amateur category will have preliminaries, quarter-finals, and semi-finals. The top eight teams will advance to the finals. On June 19, the open category will have a trial run on the watercourse, and on June 20, the official competition will commence.

Let's look forward to the arrival of this year's Dragon Boat Cultural and Art Festival together.