Unique Canoe Dragon Boat Festival of China's Miao ethnic group

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People of the Miao ethnic group participate in a canoe dragon boat race on the Qingshui River in Shibing County, Guizhou Province. /CFP

Every summer, grand canoe dragon boat races are held in Taijiang County and Shibing County in Guizhou Province, as the local people of the Miao ethnic group mark the Canoe Dragon Boat Festival.

People of the Miao ethnic group participate in a canoe dragon boat race on the Qingshui River in Shibing County, Guizhou Province. /CFP

The festival is celebrated from the 24th to the 27th day of the fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar. This year, it falls from June 29 to July 2.

People of the Miao ethnic group compete in a canoe dragon boat race on the Qingshui River in Shibing County, Guizhou Province. /CFP

The races feature special canoe dragon boats that are between 24 and 27 meters long and weigh three to four tons. The body of each boat is made from three tree trunks. The larger one in the middle and two smaller ones on either side are tied together to form a single structure.

People of the Miao ethnic group watch a canoe dragon boat race in Shibing County, Guizhou Province. /CFP

The festival also includes various rituals that reflect local cultural and religious traditions.

A total of 1,472 men carry a 99-meter-long canoe dragon boat during the opening parade of this year's Canoe Dragon Boat Festival of the Miao ethnic group in Shibing County, Guizhou Province on June 15, 2024. /CFP

The Canoe Dragon Boat Festival of the Miao ethnic group was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.