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YINCHUAN, China, June 9 (Xinhua) -- A regional dragon boat race was held Thursday to mark the Duanwu Festival on the Beita Lake in Yinchuan, capital city of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
The race, featuring six events, attracted more than 300 paddlers from 22 teams, who had been offered 15-day free training.
Six athletes from the national team performed motorboat and water stunt shows before the race, winning applause and screams from about 10,000 spectators.
Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival, is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.
Racing of traditional longboats originated from the fishermen who raced to save Qu Yuan, an ancient Chinese poet who committed suicide in the Miluo River in central China, and has become the centerpiece celebration of the Duanwu Festival nowadays.
