Photo shows the competition scene. Photographed by Shen Yangsheng.

On June 28, the 16th Yangtze River Delta Cities Dragon Boat Invitational kicked off at the Canal Sanwan Scenic Area in Yangzhou. As a key IP event for Yangtze River Delta integrated development and the highest-level official dragon boat race in the region, this event brought together 12 top-tier dragon boat teams, with three teams each from Shanghai City, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Anhui Province. Nearly 400 athletes competed on the water, staging a thrilling race full of speed and passion.

This year, Yangzhou has leveraged its canal events to bring dragon boat racing out of the festival season and into daily routines, engaging employees, university students, primary social organizations and other groups, and evolving the tradition into a year-round fitness initiative for the public. A leading official from the Yangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau stated that dragon boat events serve not only as a sports window for promoting Chinese traditional folk customs but also as an important platform for showcasing Yangzhou’s canal ecology, cultural and tourism resources, and the city’s vitality. These events can effectively boost spending around the venues, delivering multiple benefits such as increased visitor numbers, cultural promotion, and revenue growth for related industries.