On June 5, this year's Chebei dragon boat race took place on the Chebei River in Guangzhou's Tianhe district, with 12 teams from the village competing for the title.

The 12 teams are divided into six groups in the preliminary competition, and the top six teams with the shortest time to finish the race reach the final. [Photo by Zhong Zhenbin/Yangcheng Evening News]

Team members paddle hard to the sound of drums, stirring up layers of white spray that create a spectacular sight. [Photo by Zhong Zhenbin/Yangcheng Evening News]

In a tightly contested competition, the Fan Yangjian team secured the championship title with a time of 1 minute 47 seconds. Following closely behind, the Mai Shixing team clinched the second position with a time of 1 min and 50 sec, while the Dongping Liang team earned the third position, finishing with a time of 1:52.

The champion team, Fan Yangjian, wins the giant "golden pig" for the race. [Photo by Zhong Zhenbin/Yangcheng Evening News]

This is the first time for Mr Song, a resident from Northwest China who is now working in Guangzhou, to see a dragon boat race on site.

"I've only seen it on video before, but the atmosphere was even hotter when I was there," said Song, adding that he was also infected by the joy of victory and the strength of unity there.

The race attracts many spectators on both sides of the Chebei River to cheer for their teams. [Photo by Zhong Zhenbin/Yangcheng Evening News]

Chebei village, built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), preserves the enduring dragon boat culture, a hallmark of Guangfu culture. In 2017, the Chebei dragon boat was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage item of Guangzhou, and it attained a provincial-level status in 2022.

After the race, a dragon boat feast is held in Chebei village. The feast bears good wishes of prosperity, good luck, and health. [Photo by Zhong Zhenbin/Yangcheng Evening News]