Guangzhou's 'Zhaojing' ceremony impresses U.K. Dragon Boat Association director

Colin Smith, director of the British Dragon Boat Racing Association, made a special trip to China on June 19 to experience the Dragon Boat Festival.

He was left deeply impressed by Guangzhou's spectacular "Zhaojing" ceremonies, a centuries-old tradition in which villages invite visiting dragon boats for races and social gatherings.

Along Liede Creek, skyscrapers cast reflections on the water as over 170 dragon boats glided through the city center. Rowers pulled in unison, their oars cutting through the water beneath the glass facades of Guangzhou's CBD, a striking scene locally known as the "CBD boat jam."

The annual "CBD boat jam" returns to Liede Creek during the Dragon Boat Festival in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 19, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Yan Xiaojing)

On the Pearl River waterfront, Yangji urban village welcomed visiting dragon boats from Liede, Xiancun, Wenchong, Chebei and other villages, all arriving with formal invitations. Rowers stood or sat in traditional fashion, flags fluttering as chants and drumbeats rose to the skies.

Yangji urban village welcomes visiting dragon boats with the traditional "Zhaojing" ceremony along the Pearl River waterfront in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 19, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Han Yuxuan)

Crowds lined the banks, cheering the boats on.

"The whole event is amazing," Smith exclaimed. "The sights, the sounds, the smell, the food, the fireworks — it's something amazing. I've not experienced anything like this before."

As a veteran promoter of dragon boat racing, Smith noted the differences. "We generally just do the racing. We very rarely do anything aside from that, which is where we need to expand. We need more, more of the cultural aspects coming through," he said.

He also observed that Chinese cultural elements are increasingly appearing in the U.K. "Occasionally we have lion dances and mooncakes, but that is about as far as it goes," he added.

Colin Smith, director of the British Dragon Boat Racing Association, tries his hand at drumming in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 19, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Wu Yuyangyang)

Smith's experience reflects a broader significance: dragon boat racing is not just about speed and competition — it is a cultural bridge across oceans. It brings the spirit of Guangzhou's water towns to the world and showcases the enduring vitality and inclusiveness of traditional Chinese culture. The tradition continues to resonate far beyond Guangzhou.