Villagers took part in Dragon Boat Festival celebrations on 24 June in Foshan, Guangdong province, where traditional racing was held on the narrow, winding Diejiao River.
Villagers took part in Dragon Boat Festival celebrations on 24 June 2026 in Foshan, Guangdong province, where traditional racing was held on the narrow, winding Diejiao River.
The venue is known for China’s only curve-based dragon boat racing, where boats navigate sharp S-, L- and C-shaped turns at speed, requiring precise coordination and control from multiple helmsmen.
The 25-metre-long boats must execute tight manoeuvres along the river’s bends, with the event widely described by participants and observers as a highly technical form of racing due to its demanding turns and high-speed navigation.
Local villagers and visiting teams competed in the annual event, which forms part of broader Dragon Boat Festival traditions held across China.
The Dragon Boat Festival, which begins on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, is widely celebrated in China and among overseas Chinese communities, particularly along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Festivities typically combine memorial ceremonies for regional historical figures with sporting events such as dragon boat racing, along with traditional foods including rice dumplings, eggs and sulphur wine, and cultural performances such as opera, singing and folk dances.
Regional customs vary across China, with commemorations linked to figures such as poet Qu Yuan in central China, Wu Zixu in the south, and Yan Hongwo among the Dai community in Yunnan.
Traditional practices associated with the festival include symbolic rituals intended to ward off misfortune, as well as the use of plants and decorative items believed to bring protection and good fortune.
The festival is also widely viewed as a cultural marker that strengthens community ties and reflects long-standing traditions connected to seasonal change and agricultural life.
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