As the Dragon Boat Festival or Duanwu Festival approaches, dragon boat races are set to be held across Hunan to celebrate this traditional festival.

2025 China Miluo River International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament and the 2nd Qu Yuan Wine Cup Dragon Boat Super League

Date: May 28
Venue: Miluo River International Dragon Boat Racing Center
Activities: Opening Ceremony of the 2nd Dragon Boat Super League at 8:00-9:30;
preliminary round of 200-meter straight races for the open group at 9:30-11:30; and,
preliminary round of 500-meter straight races for the open group at 14:00-17:30.

Date: May 29
Venue: Miluo River International Dragon Boat Racing Center
Activities: Final round for the open group at 8:00-11:30; and,
closing ceremony and award ceremony at 11:40.

Date: May 31
Venue: Miluo River International Dragon Boat Racing Center
Activities: 200-meter and 500-meter straight races for the local group of the 2nd Dragon Boat Super League at 9:00-11:30; and,
award ceremony at 11:30.

2025 China Dragon Boat Open (Daoxian County Stop) and National Intangible Cultural Heritage Daozhou Dragon Boat Race Series 
Category: National Intangible Cultural Heritage Daozhou Dragon Boat Super Race
Duration: 14:00-18:00 from May 28 to 30
Venue: river section stretching from Shangguan Bridge Fisherman's Wharf to the south of Yulong Bay in Daoxian County

2025 "Our Festival—Duanwu" Hunan Themed Cultural Activities and Huaihua Traditional Dragon Boat Race
Duration: May 31 – June 2
Venue: Anjiang Farming Culture Tourist Area, Hongjiang City
Activities: dragon boat races; and an exhibition of intangible cultural heritage products including Qianyang bamboo weaving, Chenhe palm fibre weaving, Qianyang paper-cutting, and Yuanhe black pottery.

2025 "Our Festival—Duanwu" Zhuzhou (Lukou) Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament
Date: May 31
Venue: Dashiwei Section along the Xiangjiang River in Loukou District, Zhuzhou
Activities: 16 teams to compete in dragon boat races; spectacular performances including dragon and lion dances, flyboard shows, and stunt speedboat displays; and, traditional cultural experiences such as lacquer fan making, paper-cutting, touhu (ancient Chinese arrow pitching), shooting arrows, stones, or other weapons to defeat targets that represent the five poisonous pests, vermillion dot rituals, painting a red dot on the forehead, and poetry solitaire. 

"I Love Xiangtan, My Home" 2025 Our Festival—Duanwu Xiangtan Dragon Boat Race
Date: May 31
Venue: Wanlou section along the Xiangjiang River
Activities: 16 teams to compete in a 500-meter straight race for 22-member dragon boats; and a parade of traditional dragon boats stretching approximately 1,000 meters.

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

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese sources: hunan.gov.cn; hunantoday; the Xiangtan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Television, and Sports