The highly anticipated Chebei Dragon Boat Race kicked off in Tianhe district, Guangzhou on May 26, with 12 teams participating in the fierce competition.

The competition unfolded along a 300-meter section of the Chebei River, spanning from Longxi Bridge to Shamei Bridge, with a turnaround point to complete the 600-meter course.

The highly anticipated Chebei Dragon Boat Race kicks off on May 26. [Photo by Su Junjie/Guangzhou Daily]

The Wugong Su Team broke the race record and won the championship with a time of 1 min 44 sec. The Mai Shixing Team followed with a time of 1:47, while the Dongping Liang Team secured third place in 1:49.

"I am so excited. We haven't won in over a decade, and we have finally fulfilled our dream," said Su Yonglin, helmsman of the victorious Wugong Su Team.

Su mentioned that his team had been training diligently every year, with this year's post-Chinese New Year training sessions taking place every day from 7 pm to 9 pm on the river.

Participants paddle to victory. [Photo by Su Junjie/Guangzhou Daily]

The winners proudly display their trophy and prizes. [Photo by Su Junjie/Guangzhou Daily]

Chebei village was established during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and prospered in the late Song (960-1279) and early Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties.

Dragon boat racing is an iconic part of Cantonese dragon boat culture, which was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage item of Guangzhou in 2017. In 2022, the Chebei Dragon Boat Scene was listed as a representative project of the intangible cultural heritage of Guangdong province.

The dragon boat race draws a large crowd of spectators – even rooftops are packed with people watching the event. [Photo by Su Junjie/Guangzhou Daily]