More than 1,200 rowers from 48 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area teams will race on the Huangyang River on Saturday, May 29 in the 2021 Zhuhai Civic Fitness Sports Meet & Doumen Dragon Boat Race Invitational.

The races take place off Xidi Park in Jing'an Town near the Doumen Administrative Center on Xidi Road just north of the Jianfeng Bridge. The Open Group lineup comprises 24 teams with Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan, Jiangmen, and Macao each sending three, Zhongshan two, and Huizhou, Xinhui, Kaiping, and Yangjiang each one. Lecong Louvre from Foshan's Shunde District is seen as the favorite.

The Native Group will also have 24 teams from administrative institutions, enterprises, colleges, social organizations, locally stationed departments, and Doumen towns and subdistricts. Both groups will compete standard dragon boats along 600-m (656-yd) courses.

Dragon boat race in Doumen [File photo]

The event is being handled by the Doumen Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism & Sports Bureau under the umbrella of the Doumen District People's Government. The organizing committee will livestream the race and host a photo contest for onlookers.

Doumen is located at the Pearl River Estuary, and near the South China Sea. Many of its residents make fishing their living and have strengths in controlling boats. In recent years, the district has produced many professional paddlers and some world champions. Among them are men's national team leader Feng Guojing and team member Ling Wenwei, and women's national team leader Liang Liping and member Liang Zhuanhao.

Dragon boating in Zhuhai is dated to records during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Doumen District has had formal dragon boat racing since 1979, and has seen it grow in popularity in recent years. The race has attracted participants from all over the world and attracted more than 100,000 onlookers during peak times. 

Although the formal Dragon Boat holiday (Duanwu Jie) is June 12-14 this year, dragon boat races are held throughout the warm season in China.