Fenlong Dragon Boat Tournament ends

The National Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament of the 2015 Guangxi Huanjiang Maonan Ethnic Group's Fenlong Festival ended on June 22, Hechi Daily reported on June 27.

Huanjiang invested over 500,000 yuan ($80,550) in this year's tournament to upgrade the hardware and software support. The tournament attracted over 500 players from 35 teams to participate in the four competitions, including the male 500-meter straightway race, male 300-meter straightway race, female 500-meter straightway race and female 300-meter straightway race.

The dragon boat competition at the Fenlong Festival started in 2008 and became a national invitational tournament in 2012. The competition developed into an influential sports event of Guangxi over the past eight years and has attracted over 400,000 tourists and more than 300 teams.

It helps promote the Maonan ethnic culture, pass on Chinese civilization and facilitate the development of the Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county in Hechi, Guangxi.

The Fenlong Festival is the most important traditional festival in the calendar of the Maonan ethnic group and symbolizes praying for the harvest. Lasting two to three days, it is held annually on the first dragon day, which falls on every 12 days in the Chinese Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Day Record Method, following the Summer Solstice of the lunar calendar.

Huanjiang has held six Fenlong Festivals since 2009 to maintain, protect and pass on cultural heritage. This year's Fenlong Festival was also the first Karst Culture Tourism Festival.

The Fenlong Festival has become one of the "Top 10 Festivals in Guangxi" and was awarded "The festival with the most national characteristics" at the fourth China National Festival Summit.

Edited by Andrew Ancheta