Row, row, row your boat, down the Suzhou Creek

The Shanghai International Suzhou Creek Dragon Boat Invitational this weekend will feature over 50 dragon boat teams from China and overseas.

The race also serves as one leg of the 2023 China Dragon Boat Open Tournament. Rowers from abroad are making a comeback after a 4-year hiatus.

On Saturday and Sunday, 52 teams will congregate at the Mengqing Garden section of Suzhou Creek.

Eight men's teams will compete in the 22-crew 100m, 200m, and 500m races in the elite category, while four women's teams will compete in the 12-crew 100m, 200m, and 500m events.

In the public category, college teams from China's Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as from Malaysia and the Philippines, will compete in the 12-crew 200m and 500m races.

Credit: Ti Gong

Middle schools and organizations will send amateur teams for the mixed division.

The north shore of the river course will include a spectator area. Those interested in participating in the race can log on to the event's official WeChat mini program "苏河龙舟赛" for registration and get access to the area on race days.

The competition is being held prior to this year's Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 22.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a commemoration of the ancient poet Qu Yuan (340–278 BC) and is celebrated by holding boat races and consuming sticky rice dumplings called zongzi.