The first Three Gorges Intangible Cultural Heritage Dragon Boat Racing was held in Daning Ancient Town, Wuxi County, Chongqing on June 14. A total of 208 participants from eight teams in Fengjie, Zhongxian, Kaizhou, Yunyang, and Wuxi took part in the race.

After fierce competition, the Dragon Boat Team of Wuyang Jiangjunfang from Zhongxian County won the championship with a record of 2 minutes 3 seconds downstream and 2 minutes 4 seconds upstream, followed by the Kaizhou Dragon Boat Team and Fengjie Dragon Boat Association Team.

The game officially began as the sacrificial ceremony for Qu Yuan ended at 9:30 a.m. that day. Against the backdrop of verdant hills and clear waters, the competitors chased each other to the pounding beat of the drums. The audience looked afar on the bank, shouted in unison for their favorite team, and took photos to record the game highlights.

"I couldn't help but be attracted by the imposing scenery and pleasant climate here. I hope that all the players can yield good results," said Ji Junwei who took a bus from Wushan early in the morning to watch the game.

"I saw a promotional post of this game in the WeChat Moments, which attracted me to this picturesque and hospitable place." This is the first time for Tan Zuyu and his wife from the city proper of Chongqing to visit Wuxi. They came to the riverside as early as 6 o'clock in the morning.

At the site, performances of Tai Chi, martial arts, and folk customs were also staged.

Dragon boat racing is a traditional folk sports activity and an important festival folklore activity of China. It is originally designed to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. Based on the geographical superiority and historical heritage, Wuxi has a long-standing history of dragon boat racing. As the Daning County Annals recorded, the custom of dragon boat racing in the Dragon Boat Festival originated during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The dragon boat racing enjoys the highest popularity in the areas along the Daning River such as Dahe, Ningchang, and Chengxiang, especially in Ningchang. Besides, a variety of on-land dragon-boat rowing activities have also emerged.

This game is designed to tap into the intangible cultural heritage resources of the Three Gorges, further improve the popularity of Wuxi's cultural tourism, and catalyze the development of the tourism economy through cultural tourism activities, according to Yang Feng, Deputy Director of the Wuxi County Commission of Culture and Tourism Development. With these endeavors, Wuxi will grow into a regional tourism hub, build a new brand of tourism in the Three Gorges, and fuel the rural revitalization.