Dragon boat race brings Chinese and British enthusiasts together in Manchester

With the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival around the corner, enthusiasts from around the world gathered in Salford, Greater Manchester on Saturday to celebrate the festival by racing and presenting traditional Chinese culture.

This year, the event welcomed two teams from Guangzhou City in China, where the dragon boat race has been highly valued and remained popular since ancient times. They competed alongside 50 local British teams in the races.

Li Chiying, representative of the Guangzhou dragon boat teams, described dragon boat culture as a bridge connecting different civilizations and a messenger of friendship.

He extended invitations to the British participants to visit Guangzhou and experience the city's centuries-old dragon boat traditions, from vibrant river races to local customs such as Dragon Boat tea and Dragon Boat banquets.

A documentary produced by CGTN Europe, "Traces of China: Dragon Boat — From ancient Chinese ritual to global sport" was premiered at the event. The documentary explores the sports' thousand-year-old tradition as well as its gaining of popularity in today's world.

The documentary will be broadcasted on CGTN as well as CGTN Europe's YouTube channel on June 19, which marks China's Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival this year.

Tang Rui, Chinese Consul General in Manchester, noted in his remarks that June 10 marks the United Nations' International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. He said the conference's theme closely links dragon boat racing with cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and the UK.

Tang highlighted the success of the UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which has been held in Salford for more than a decade and has become increasingly popular among local residents. The annual event, he said, has played an important role in fostering friendship and cultural understanding between the two countries.

Paul Dennett, deputy mayor of Greater Manchester and mayor of Salford, welcomed the Chinese delegation and described the dragon boat festival as a highlight of the city's cultural calendar.

"The spirit of dragon boat racing — that a boat can only move forward when everyone works together — resonates deeply with the values of Salford," Dennett said. He added that the city would continue working with Chinese partners to expand cooperation in culture, education and tourism, further strengthening bilateral friendship.

Zhang Li, director of the China National Tourist Office in London, said the event serves as an example of promoting dialogue among civilizations and deepening mutual understanding between the peoples of China and the UK.

"Both China and the United Kingdom are countries with rich cultural traditions and strong sporting heritage," Zhang said. "We hope this event will help further enhance friendship and understanding between our peoples."