Best moments from 2026 Hangzhou Xixi Dragon Boat Cultural Festival

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Deeply rooted in a millennium of dragon boat lore, this year's Hangzhou Xixi Dragon Boat Cultural Festival seamlessly blends exhilarating races with water performances and cultural activities.

Opening day on Friday featured a series of distinctive events, starting with seven teams battling it out on a 700-meter course. Next came the highly anticipated Xixi International Dragon Boat Race, where ten elite teams took to the water, bringing together Chinese athletes and international enthusiasts from 20 countries, including Russia, the US, Nigeria, the UK, and Malaysia. The 1,500-meter racecourse, which winds through the Xixi Wetland and is run to international standards, introduced a unique "P-shaped" hairpin turn, raising the stakes while delighting the senses.

Once again, the festival proves that the course carries more than dragon boats; it carries age-old traditions kept alive by the people who pass them on across generations, cultures and continents.

(All pictures are courtesy of China International Cartoon and Animation Festival.)

Overseas paddlers give it their all with powerful strokes in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 19, 2026. /Courtesy of CICAF

Enthusiasts from more than 20 nations converge on Xixi, sailing and splashing through the scenic wetland waters in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 19, 2026. /Courtesy of CICAF

Artists perform right on the boats, turning them into floating stages in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 19, 2026. /Courtesy of CICAF

Cultural performances celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival take place right on the water, with artists performing aboard the boats in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 19, 2026. /Courtesy of CICAF

A traditional dragon boat rests on the shimmering waters of Xixi Wetland in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 19, 2026. /Courtesy of CICAF

Local villagers and amateurs race in the "Village Super" dragon boat race, blending tradition with community fun in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 19, 2026. /Courtesy of CICAF

Colorful dragon boats, adorned with bright flags and banners, await the race in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 19, 2026. /Courtesy of CICAF

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