A Miluo dragon boat to be shipped to Thailand. (Photo/Zhang Wei)

Miluo dragon boats that have already exported to the United States. (Photo/Zhang Wei)

On November 1, eight new international standard 12-person dragon boats in huge containers arrived at the Shekou Port in Shenzhen and would soon be exported to Thailand. These dragon boats were produced by the Longzhongwang Dragon Boat Factory in Quzici Town, Miluo City. This marked the factory's fourth export shipment of dragon boats this year.

"Initially, we exported dragon boats to Europe for dragon boat leagues, and later to the Netherlands and the United States," said Deng Gaohu, head of the factory. He noted that last year, his factory mainly obtained orders from the domestic market, with only 20 export orders. However, this year, the number of export orders for dragon boats doubled. Besides Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Thailand, the factory's export market has expanded to European and American countries.

"Miluo is known as the hometown of dragon boat races, and the dragon boat is a calling card of Miluo. I'm particularly proud of the dragon boat culture in my hometown," said Deng Gaohu. He said that now his factory can receive orders throughout the year. On one hand, his employees manufacture dragon boats. On the other hand, they organize dragon boat teams to participate in competitions all over the country. Additionally, they are involved in referee services, team management, and event organization, which further enhances the reputation of Miluo dragon boats. As a result, the demand for these dragon boats has soared.

There are currently 23 dragon boat factories in Miluo, with an estimated annual output value of around 200 million yuan. Since the beginning of this year, as the brand influence of Miluo as the "Origin of Dragon Boat Festival and Hometown of Dragon Boat Races" has continued to grow, all dragon boat factories in Quzici Town, a primary dragon boast producer in Miluo, have seen a significant increase in export orders. Miluo's dragon boat industry has a promising future ahead.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Chinanews