China Nanhai Jiujiang team from Guangdong finished strong in first place for the open final long boat 500 metres 2018 Macau International Dragon Boat Race.
The second place was taken by SJM Golden Jubilee, Macau was third, Singapore fourth, Hong Kong fifth, and Guangdong Junjingwan Group Dabu sixth.
This year’s Macau International Dragon Boat Races took place on 16–18 June at Nam Van Lake.
Altogether, teams compete in 10 races, divided into two categories (Open and Women’s) with the final winners determined by three races: the Macau University Student Invitation Standard Dragon Boat Race and the Macau International Invitation Standard Dragon Boat Race (both Open Final) and Macau International Invitation Standard Dragon Boat Race (Women’s Final).
The event that brings together several teams, kick off with a mixture of drumbeats and cheering from the vast crowds of supporters.
Behind months of team trainings, adrenaline and excitement, lies a deep-rooted story represented by the Dragon Boat Festival.
The story unfolds during the Zhou dynasty, as political alliances were formed under the king’s command and corruption resulted from disagreements within the high offices. Whereby Qu Yuan, a respected Chinese poet and minister, took his own life by drowning in the Miluo River to protest against the horrors that befell the city. It is said that all those who admired Qu Yuan raced out on their boats to save him, and thus, this loyal action marked the beginning of the boat racing tradition.
