The 21st Daming Lake Dragon Boat Cultural Festival was held at Daming Lake in Jinan, Shandong province on June 12. Eight dragon boat teams competed with each other to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. The race had 200-meter and 500-meter races.

The Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival, is a traditional festival in China that has been celebrated for thousands of years.

On the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, people customarily take part in dragon boat races and eat zongzi, a gluttonous rice dish wrapped in bamboo leaves.

The event also hosted a series of folk custom experience activities related to the Duanwu Festival. It has become an important brand activity in Jinan to promote traditional Chinese culture.

Rowers prepare for the dragon boat race on June 12.  [Photo/sdchina.com]

Teams compete in the dragon boat race at Daming Lake on June 12. [Photo/sdchina.com]