A photo taken during the kite invitational competition held in Rudong last October shows diverse kites flying in the sky. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfb]

Three major sports events will be held in Rudong county, Nantong, Jiangsu province from Oct 17 to 19 — a kite-flying competition, a dragon boat race, and a half marathon.

Since 1989, Rudong has held the national kite invitational competition for 23 sessions. This competition will consist of two parts: the 2025 National Kite Invitation Competition and the Jiangsu Kite Elite Competition (Rudong Branch).

On Oct 17, 36 representative teams and 176 kite enthusiasts will compete at the Xiaoyangkou Kite Flying Field in Rudong.

The "Grand Canal Cultural Belt" 2025 Jiangsu Urban Dragon Boat Open Tournament (Rudong Branch) will be held in the county's Jin'ge Island Scenic Area on Oct 18, with 200m and 500m straight-line racings. The competition brought together 16 top teams from across the province, with a total of an estimated 432 athletes.

Rudong will hold its first half marathon event at the Xiaoyangkou Tourist Resort on Oct 19, attracting over 2,000 runners from all over the country. During the event, specialty product exhibitions, traditional cultural displays, and food carnivals will also be held.