The 2024 China Wenzhou Rural Loong Boat Super League Final kicks off in Ouhai district, Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/66wz.com]
The 2024 China Wenzhou Rural Loong Boat Super League Final kicked off in Ouhai district, Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on Oct 13. The event marks the first city-level dragon boat village super league in China.
The event features 35 teams with 560 athletes, who completed two rounds of qualifying matches in August and September. These include 16 teams from various villages in Wenzhou and 19 teams from other regions such as Changle district in Fuzhou, Fujian province as well as Ningbo and Taizhou in Zhejiang.
The opening ceremony featured traditional dragon dancing, drumming, and colorful smoke displays. "Loong" is a variant spelling of "long", which is a mythical creature resembling a dragon in Chinese culture. Guests participated in an eye-dotting ceremony for the dragon boats, a traditional custom, and prizes included baskets filled with local produce, symbolizing abundance.
A riverside market was set up to showcase local specialties, allowing spectators to enjoy both the race and regional delicacies.
Wenzhou, known as the "Home of Loong Boats" in China, is home to the Wenzhou Dragon Boat Sports Center, which has a 1,200-meter-long, 130-meter-wide, and 3.5-meter-deep course and is recognized as one of the most advanced in Asia.
Wang Chengyun, vice-chairman of the Chinese Dragon Boat Association, highlighted the growing participation of rural communities in dragon boat racing nationwide, and said he hopes to expand Wenzhou's dragon boat village super league nationwide.
