▲A splendid moment captured during the 2023 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Zhongshan) Dragon Boat Invitational. (Photo/Miao Xiaojian)

A press conference was held on May 16 to introduce preparations for the upcoming 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Zhongshan) Dragon Boat Invitational & Zhongshan Dragon Boat Culture Month event.

This year's event will take place from May to June this year. Residents and tourists can participate in related activities at different locations in different roles and at different times.

From June 8 to 9, a warm-up exhibition match for the dragon boat invitational will be held in the Qijiang River water area between Qijiang Bridge and Guangming Bridge.

On June 10, also the Dragon Boat Festival, the dragon boat invitational will take place in the water area between Dongming Bridge and Kanghua Bridge (near the Zhongshan Dragon Boat Culture Park). Sixty dragon boat teams from 11 Greater Bay Area cities will gather in Zhongshan to compete with each other. The competition includes events for men's traditional dragon boat, men's international-standard dragon boat and women's international-standard dragon boat.

In addition to dragon boat race, nine major activities in six categories will be organized this year themed on the Year of the Dragon and the dragon boat culture. These include dragon boat culture exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage parades, dragon boat & lantern festivals, music festivals, water sports performances, food markets and immersive dragon boat experience activities.