From June 19 to 22, the 2023 Liaoning Dragon Boat Race is held in the artificial lake of Daling River in Chaoyang. More than 1,300 participants from 43 teams take part in the competition.
The race consists of four groups: city group, county group, government and public institutions group as well as enterprise group, and takes the form of straight sprint, including three categories of 100 meters, 200 meters, and 500 meters. For the first three days, the morning session includes the preliminary rounds for each event of each group, followed by the finals in the afternoon. The final rankings for each group are determined based on the total scores from all events. On the fourth day, the top four teams from each group compete in the final round.
The dragon boat sport in Chaoyang has enjoyed great popularity with rich experiences in organizing this kind of race. Since the introduction of the sport in 2007, Chaoyang has hosted 13 consecutive dragon boat races. This year’s event, centered around the dragon boat competition, will feature several activities under the themes of “competing in Chaoyang, sightseeing in Chaoyang, playing in Chaoyang, and enjoying life in Chaoyang”. These activities include hiking up Phoenix Mountain, watching the sinosauropteryx, and visiting the ancient city of Sanyan. Every evening, cultural and entertainment events such as cultural performances, night tours, and night entertainment activities will be held. In addition, the race site will also feature a car trunk sale of local products and exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage.
By organizing the above activities, Chaoyang aims to create a deep integration of culture, tourism, and sports in this dragon boat racing event, providing a unique and entertaining experience that blends appreciation, participation, interaction, and fun for all attendees. The city hopes to make this event a highly influential provincial mass sports event, showcasing the beauty of the city and its cultural heritage while promoting healthy lifestyles and community engagement.
