From June 18 to 19, a record 61 teams and 420 racers – nearly double last year – splashed onto East Lake for Kashi's third annual dragon boat race in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

What's new? Grassroots crews mixing local officials, students and aid workers, all trained by coaches from Guangdong. The sport has now earned a permanent spot in Xinjiang's Minority Traditional Sports Games.