1,700 swimmers swim across Pearl River

More than 1,700 keen swimmers forming 34 groups dived into the Pearl River on July 18 for Guangzhou's annual tradition and event of swimming across the Pearl River.

The swimmers started their journey at 14:10 and the one-kilometer course began from Zhongda Wharf to Xinghai Concert Hall on the Pearl River.

Crossing the Pearl River is a mass sports activity hosted by the Guangzhou municipal government and has long been enjoyed by residents. According to the city's local chronicles, the event can be traced back to 1930 and has been held for 90 years. On Aug 23 and 24, 1964, Guangzhou hosted a swim across the Pearl River event with a record 20,048 people, the largest number of record.