As part and parcel of the annual traditional Duanwu Festival celebrations, dragon boat races are held across China. Recent years have seen a growing international involvement in the traditional boating activities of Guangdong province.

Among them is a group of overseas students from the School of International Education at Shantou University. They competed at a dragon boat race held during this year's Duanwu Festival (aka Dragon Boat Festival), running from June 8 to 10, in Shantou, Guangdong province.

Also, an international dragon boat invitation tournament held on Sunday in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, attracted boating teams from the United States, Canada, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, as well as China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Membership change

One of the teams was comprised of members from the foreign chambers of commerce in Guangzhou but mostly by those from the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Club. The club was founded in 1998 when its membership consisted of employees from consulates in Guangzhou. However, there has been a significant change in its membership. Originally, staff members from consulates served as the backbone of the club but currently just two or three consulate employees remain. The majority of the club membership are foreigners living in Guangzhou, including teachers and businesspeople.

David Butler from the United Kingdom is the general manager of the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Club, who has been paddling for 14 years.

"Dragon boat is a team sport. It is a fantastic exercise. You can exercise more than you would do if you were on your own," he told GDToday in a recent interview when he tried dragon boat drift in Foshan, Guangdong province. "You push each other, encourage and inspire each. There is always a positive feeling."

"When I first came to Guangzhou, I learned how to dragon boat because I was interested. Now, dragon boating has become a part of my life and it links me with Guangzhou."

Butler has participated in dragon boat races in many places in the world. "Many people worldwide are very interested in China and they want to know more about Chinese culture. Nowadays, there are dragon boat races almost all over the world and dragon boats can really promote cultural exchanges."

Growing popularity

Although dragon boat racing is a traditional Chinese cultural activity, it has gained in popularity worldwide, which is evidenced by related international competitions.

The International Dragon Boat Federation was established in Hong Kong in 1991. Its membership has more than 80 dragon boat associations from countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore and the United States, according to its official website.

In recent years, dragon boats from Guangdong have sailed overseas, achieving excellent results in international competitions and showcasing their prowess to the world.

Among the Guangdong dragon boat racers at overseas regattas was a team from Nansha district of Guangzhou at the Frankfurt Dragon Boat Festival on May 25. Of the 21 racers in the team, eight are women.

The team from Guangzhou got through to the final, ranking third in the preliminary rounds and won third place in the professional group. It was also awarded by the organizing committee for its "outstanding contributions".

More than 23 dragon boat teams comprising nearly 460 athletes competed at the race in Germany. The racers were from China, Germany, Italy, France and other countries and regions.

The Guangzhou team is not a newcomer to international regattas. It won the championship at the Darwin International Dragon Boat Festival in Australia in June 2023.

In late June, two teams from Dongguan, Guangdong province, are to head out to Switzerland and Denmark for dragon boat competitions.

One of the two teams is from Hongmei township of the city. It will participate in a dragon boat race in Eglisau, a Swiss medieval town.

The event is jointly organized by the Drachenboot Club Eglisau and dragonboatevents website, and has been held for 31 years. It is the longest-running and largest annual dragon boat race in Europe, and one of the most popular events in Zurich, Switzerland.

The other team is from Zhongtang township, Dongguan. It will compete in the professional category of the Copenhagen Dragon Boat Cultural Festival in Denmark on June 23 and 24.

The event in Copenhagen has so far been held for seven editions. As a prestigious international event known for its high standards and professionalism, it attracts top talent from various countries and regions to prove their mettle in intense competition.

Prior to this, another dragon boat team from Shatian township, Dongguan, has made a splash in overseas competitions. The team won five championships at Asian races and other international competitions.

Shatian township is also where the country's first women's dragon boat team is from, which was founded in 1996.

In August 1999, the women's dragon boat team claimed the championship across all three women's events at the third World Dragon Boat Racing Championships held in Nottingham, the United Kingdom.

Extensive attention

Dragon boat racing in Guangdong has gained more attention and support in recent years. BYD, a new energy vehicle brand headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, signed a cooperation agreement with the International Canoe Federation and the Chinese Canoe Association in Shenzhen to jointly promote the inclusion of dragon boat racing in international competitions.

The move is expected to aid the integration of dragon boat racing into the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup and the official competition events of the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, promoting dragon boat racing.

Following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, dragon boat racing will once again be showcased as a demonstration event during this year's Games in Paris.