Over 1,600 rowers compete in Guizhou, China dragon boat race

GUIYANG, China, June 10 (Xinhua) -- A dragon boat race took place in Zhenyuan County, southwest China's Guizhou Province to celebrate China's traditional Dragon Boat Festival on Monday.

From Monday to Wednesday, a dragon boat race and a single bamboo drifting competition will be held in Zhenyuan County, which attracted a total of 53 teams and more than 1,600 athletes from across China.

In Monday's dragon boat race, the competition group competed with standard dragon boats in men's 200m and 500m.

The single bamboo drifting competition, which will take place on Tuesday, consists of men's and women's 100m and 200m races.

According to organizers, Zhenyuan boasts a tradition of holding dragon boat races for more than 2,200 years, and the county's dragon boats are known for their large size and intricate decorations.

In 2011, the dragon boat racing in Zhenyuan was listed into the third batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list.

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar.