On June 22, the 2023 International Dragon Boat Cultural Festival of Xixi Wetland, Hangzhou officially kicked off. Players from 23 countries such as China, Russia, USA, UK, Canada, and Australia have formed 10 international dragon boat teams and raced together with 7 dragon boat teams from Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The day of competition coincided this year with a traditional Chinese festival – the Dragon Boat Festival, and the dragon boat racing is one of the most distinctive traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival. People will be divided into different teams and row dragon boats to compete in rivers, lakes and other waters.
Hangzhou, known as the “paradise on earth”, is a typical “water town south of Yangtze”, and the area of Xihu District is crisscrossed by rivers. Among them, the Qiantang River twists and turns from south to north, the Yuhangtang River runs east to west, and the newly opened canal runs north to south. The local area is also known for their traditional customs including dragon boat races, feasts on dragon boats and boozing on dragon boats. It is reported that the local dragon boat races not only race in terms of speed races, but also of steering techniques, which is a great pleasure for the spectators. The Jiangcun Dragon Boat Festival, which began in the Tang and Song Dynasties and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, was named “Dragon Boat Victory Fair” by the Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, which means “Though it is not a temple fair, but it is way better than such.” Among them, Wuchang “Dragon Boat Victory Fair” and Jiangcun “Dragon Boat Victory Fair” were also included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2008 and 2011 respectively.
Hosting the 2023 Hangzhou Xixi International Dragon Boat Cultural Festival, the Xixi Wetland is also the main venue in China for the 2023 World Wetland Day. It is said that the Dragon Boat Cultural Festival this year has adopted dragon boats of international standards and implemented the form of competitions by chasing in the river. After the referee issued the order, ten teams set off one by one like arrows from the string, chasing after each other and striving for the champion. The tourists on the shore waved flags and shouted, and the scene was very lively.
Xixi Wetland has also launched an immersive script tour during the 3-day holiday of Dragon Boat Festival, giving the tourists in Xixi a unique sense of experience; tourists can also experience crafting persimmon-shaped sachets, weaving small flower baskets, painting fans with themes on the Dragon Boat Festival, etc. in Xixi Wetland, so as to have a deeper understanding of the traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival.