World's longest dragon boat to be unveiled in Guizhou

File photo: A previous edition of the China Shibing Dragon Boat Festival. [Photo/ddcpc website]

Shibing county in Southwest China's Guizhou province will hold the 2023 China Shibing Dragon Boat Festival and Bridgehead Cultural Tourism Week in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area from June 21 to 25.

Shibing is one of the birthplaces of the Miao ethnic group's dragon boats and corresponding races in the Qingshui River Basin. The Shibing dragon boat race is one of the representative ethnic customs of southeastern Guizhou, and also a unique cultural heritage of the province.

The event will be held by the banks of the Wuyang River along with over 10 activities, such as the world's longest dragon boat parade, a dragon boat race, a dragon boat image ambassador competition, and a fireworks show.

File photo: Participants compete in a previous edition of the China Shibing Dragon Boat Festival. [Photo/ddcpc website]

Foshan city in South China's Guangdong province and Shibing will work together to share the economic development achievements with dragon boat enthusiasts during this period.

According to Liu Yan, chairman of the Shibing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the event is a powerful tool for Shibing to promote its traditional culture and strengthen cultural, tourism, and economic and trade exchanges and cooperation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The county will hold a series of activities to explore and promote the spirit of dragon boat culture and local folk sports culture, accelerate the coordinated development of local folk sports and cultural tourism industries, and further the establishment of a sports tourism demonstration county.