The Dragon Canoe Festival is held 20 days after the more commonly-known Dragon Boat Festival, in Guizhou’s Taijing county.

Held this year on June 29, the three-day festival’s main attraction is a dragon canoe competition along the Qingshui River.

It is the only festival of its kind in the world and the majority of participants are from the Miao ethnic group. A central part of the Miao culture, the dragon canoe features unique designs, referring to old folklore tales.

The festival’s race differs from the ones held on Dragon Boat Festival in that participants adopt a standing position on the canoe while rowing. Such is the importance of the tradition to local people, the festival was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage protection projects in 2008.

Having been observed for more than 1,000 years, the competition serves as a ritual for Miao people living along the Qingshui River to pray for peace and promote the integration of different ethnic groups.

Participants of the race stand up while rowing the canoe. [Photo/news.gog.cn]