Bijiang revives dragon boat traditions for festival
The Dragon Invitation Ceremony for the Bijiang Dragon Boat Race was held on the evening of May 24, in Tongren Ancient City of Guizhou Province. The event combined traditional rituals and folk customs to highlight the cultural significance of the Dragon Boat Festival through rituals such as the dragon invitation, parade, and eye-dotting. The event attracted thousands of locals and tourists, offering a new experience of the Dragon Boat Festival's folk customs.
As twilight fell, the prelude to the Dragon Invitation Ceremony sounded for the first time on the stone path of Dongshan Temple. Deafening drums and gongs interwove to create a solemn yet warm atmosphere. The host of the ceremony, dressed in traditional attire, descended the stone steps, accompanied by dragon guardians. They prayed devoutly to bless the upcoming dragon boat race. The parade team gathered at Wenmiao Square, where more than 300 dancers formed a 1,000-meter bamboo dragon in concentric circles around an eight-wind drum. The drummers struck out the rhythm of dragon invitation for the Dragon Boat Festival.
According to tradition, the dragon boats set sail on the water amid prayers for "favorable weather and national peace." With sudden bursts of drum music, rowers chanted in unison as flags fluttered and the cheers from the shore merged with the surging river, transforming the 1,000-year-old dragon boat customs into vivid prayers in the bustling excitement.
The Dragon Invitation Ceremony for the Bijiang Dragon Boat Race is held in Tongren Ancient City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on May 24, 2025./Photo provided to CGTN
As the dragon boats entered the water, 500 drones formed words such as "Dragon Soaring over Jinjiang River" and "Bijiang Welcomes You" in the night sky over Tongren Ancient City.
The Dragon Invitation Ceremony for the Bijiang Dragon Boat Race is held in Tongren Ancient City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on May 24,2025./Photo provided to CGTN
Bijiang District is renowned for its dragon boat racing traditions. Since 2008, the district has hosted several major events, including the International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament and the China Traditional Dragon Boat Race, also known as the Bijiang Dragon Boat Race. This year's event will take place from May 30 to 31.