Dragon Boat FestivalGlobal Spread

The United States is one of the countries where dragon boat sport is most active worldwide. Dragon Boat Festival celebrations extend from the East Coast to the West Coast, shaped both by the spontaneous initiatives of Chinese communities and by deep participation from mainstream society.

Washington, D.C.: Dragon boat clubs train through the night. In the U.S. capital, dragon boat clubs practice through the night in preparation for Dragon Boat Festival races. Francis Lira, who began dragon boating in 2006, said: “It takes 20 people to move a dragon boat. You cannot do it alone. There is no individual in this sport; everyone has to work together.” Local media commented that “this growing sport is paying tribute to Chinese history.” Washington’s dragon boat races have become one of the city’s most influential multicultural events.

California: A Dragon Boat Festival celebration for a multicultural community. In California, the 2025 Annual Dragon Boat Festival, organized by the Asian American Community Involvement Association, was held on May 31 at West Valley College in Saratoga, attracting hundreds of enthusiastic participants. The event not only showcased the appeal of diverse Asian cultures, but also demonstrated strong community cohesion and a spirit of exchange across ethnic groups.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the third Dragon Boat Folk Culture Festival was held at Qiyang Cultural Center. Activities included hands-on zongzi making; tasting mugwort cakes, foods made with ai (艾), or Chinese mugwort, a plant closely associated with traditional Dragon Boat Festival customs; weaving five-colored cords (五彩绳), colored threads traditionally worn during the festival; calligraphy; papercutting; and “shooting the five poisons” (射五毒), an interactive folk game associated with the traditional wudu (五毒), or “five poisons.” The program also included traditional Chinese face painting and assessments of individual traditional Chinese medicine body constitutions (体质). Gao Huiling of Los Angeles said that the Dragon Boat Festival is an important traditional festival for Chinese people, carrying profound cultural and historical significance; through storytelling, music and dance, food stalls, and other activities, people of different generations and ethnic backgrounds are invited to experience the beauty of Chinese culture together.

Seattle: A Chinese school’s cultural return. Located south of Seattle, Nanpu Xiaxida Chinese School returned after a six-year absence to participate in the 17th Kent International Festival, organized by the Kent Chamber of Commerce on May 31, 2025, presenting Dragon Boat Festival culture to local residents.

Michigan: A Dragon Boat Festival celebration in the library. On April 26, the Michigan Lion Dance Team held a “Taiwanese American Dragon Boat Festival” cultural event in Adam Strohm Hall at the Detroit Public Library. Holding the event in this historic hall—renowned for its soaring vaulted ceiling, ornate decoration, and murals by American artist Gari Melchers—gave the occasion particular significance; within a space where knowledge and history intertwine, the Dragon Boat Festival celebration took on an added depth while opening a new chapter for different communities.

Corporate cultural transmission. Huamao Logistics also organized Dragon Boat Festival celebrations across several of its U.S. offices. The Miami and Los Angeles offices strengthened awareness of tradition through dragon boat race videos and cultural introductions; the Chicago office created a rich festive atmosphere with themed backdrops, while its e-commerce team brought colleagues closer through food, games, and cultural learning, with touhu (投壶), the traditional Chinese game of tossing arrows into a narrow vessel, generating particularly lively interaction; the New York office introduced employees to traditional Chinese culture, and everyone tasted traditional zongzi.

Dragon Boat Festival celebrations are equally vibrant in Canada. Even before the festival arrives, many supermarkets and stores begin offering an array of zongzi; the fragrance of zongzi leaves spreads through the early-summer air, while dragon boat racing has become one of the favorite sports of people in Canada’s mainstream communities. During the festival period, Vancouver and other places in Canada hold dragon boat races and related activities, drawing large crowds of spectators and creating a lively atmosphere. Huamao Logistics Canada organized employees in Toronto to taste traditional zongzi and exchange cultural stories, strengthening employees’ sense of belonging through the principle of “people first, cultural integration.” Weng Guoning, chairman of the Federation of Chinese Associations in Toronto, said that the Dragon Boat Festival has long since become more than merely a traditional Chinese festival; it has become a vibrant calling card for Chinese culture as it reaches the world.

The 2025 Argentina Dragon Boat Competition was held on May 24 at the dragon boat base in Escobar, Buenos Aires Province, attracting more than 100 competitors. The scale of the event reached a new record, and a 2,000-meter long-distance race was introduced for the first time. Liu Jingang, chairman of the Argentine Dragon Boat Association, said that dragon boat sport not only embodies the spirit of unity, cooperation, and striving forward, but has also become an important bond connecting the peoples of China and Argentina.

Nicolás Ceruya, director of Escobar’s municipal sports bureau, said that dragon boat sport has become an effective platform connecting different cultural groups: “This is a sport worth promoting, not only because it is highly competitive and exciting to watch, but also because it is a symbol of tradition and unity.” Since its establishment in 2019, the Argentine Dragon Boat Association has actively promoted the sport and gradually built a training and competition system covering several provinces across Argentina.

On May 10, 2025, Consul General Gao Zhenting in Guayaquil attended a Dragon Boat Festival celebration jointly organized by Guayaquil’s Chinese community and the municipal government. Consul General Gao said that the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival had been inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; the joint organization of Dragon Boat Festival activities by the Chinese community of Guayaquil and the municipal government had created a platform for exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Ecuadorian civilizations.

On the day of the festival, the Brazilian Rui’an Chamber of Commerce and the Brazilian Qingtian Hometown Association jointly held a “Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival, Dragon Boats Racing” event at the Guarapiranga Reservoir in São Paulo, attracting nearly 500 overseas Chinese and Brazilian friends.

São Paulo’s Dragon Boat Festival races featured a rich array of activities. Before the competition, ceremonies including dragon and lion dances, decorating the dragon heads, paddle presentations, and launching the dragon boats were held. In Rio de Janeiro, many local Brazilians, guided by overseas Chinese, enthusiastically tried wrapping zongzi with their own hands and experienced folk traditions such as making xiangnang (香囊), traditional fragrant sachets, and weaving five-colored cords.

Huamao Logistics Mexico introduced Chinese and international employees to the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival, together exploring the story of Qu Yuan and the cultural background of dragon boat racing and eating zongzi. A Dragon Boat Festival cultural knowledge quiz followed, together with a shared tasting of zongzi. The Panama company organized a dragon boat race and shared festive foods. The Chile company introduced employees to traditional Dragon Boat Festival stories and shared delicious zongzi; many Chilean employees tasted Chinese zongzi for the first time and remarked that “the texture and flavor were novel and interesting.”

The United Kingdom hosts Europe’s largest Dragon Boat Festival event. The 11th UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival was held on May 25, 2025, in Salford, Greater Manchester, attracting nearly 10,000 participants. The Manchester Evening News reported that it was Europe’s largest dragon boat event, with more than 40 teams competing that year.

The festival grounds also featured dragon and lion dances, martial arts, Chinese opera, traditional instrumental music, ethnic dance, and food stalls offering zongzi, spring rolls, dumplings, and other specialties, giving spectators a comprehensive Chinese cultural experience of “sight, sound, and taste.” Salford Mayor Paul Dennett told the Manchester Evening News that the Dragon Boat Festival was one of the most exciting and joyful events on Salford’s calendar. Now in its 11th year, the event has become one of the United Kingdom’s most influential Chinese cultural activities.

In 2026, the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival opened along the banks of the River Cam. Chinese Dragon Boat Festival culture blended with the scenery of Britain’s waterside landscape, as a transnational cultural carnival combining folk performances, waterborne competition, and people-to-people exchange came to Cambridge, bringing a rich Eastern character to the city’s early summer.

Germany is one of the European countries where dragon boat sport has reached its greatest maturity. Dragon boat racing has had a tradition of several decades in Germany. On May 24, 2025, the second “Red Flag Cup” Frankfurt International Dragon Boat Friendship Race opened on Germany’s Main River. Seventeen dragon boat teams from China, Germany, France, Italy, the United States, Thailand, and other countries and regions competed together, with the Jingzhou team from Hubei, China, making a prominent appearance.

Wang Wen, who had worked and lived in Germany for more than 30 years, said: “Dragon boat racing has already had a tradition of several decades in Germany. In the past, however, we Chinese would organize one team to participate in local dragon boat races, and I was once even a member of the cheerleading team. Starting last year, we began participating in the Frankfurt International Dragon Boat Friendship Race, which has a strong Chinese character. In Germany, the festive atmosphere of the Dragon Boat Festival is becoming stronger and stronger.”

In 2026, the third “Red Flag Cup” Frankfurt International Dragon Boat Festival once again brought the Main River to life, with 18 teams from China, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and other countries competing side by side. Boats surged across the Main and paddles flashed above the water. Cultural carnival activities held during the event—including Chinese opera and Dragon Boat Festival food experiences—drew large numbers of spectators who stopped to watch and taste.

On June 15, 2025, the third Luxembourg International Dragon Boat Festival was held in Remich on the Moselle River. As an important cultural event celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival and an annual flagship project for China-Luxembourg people-to-people exchange, the festival took “Working Together in the Same Boat, Building the Future Together” as its theme, integrating sporting competition, cultural exchange, and financial and tourism promotion. It attracted numerous institutions, businesses, and members of the public from China, Luxembourg, and neighboring countries. According to statistics, this edition of the festival drew more than 4,000 visits.

Chinese Ambassador to Luxembourg Hua Ning said that the Dragon Boat Festival is not only a traditional festival commemorating Qu Yuan, but also embodies the spirit of unity, cooperation, and tongzhou gongji (同舟共济)—literally, “crossing the river together in the same boat,” an expression of solidarity in the face of shared challenges. It has been listed by the United Nations as intangible cultural heritage of humanity and has become cultural wealth shared by the world.

Luxembourg’s Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, said that the Dragon Boat Festival combines sporting and cultural dimensions and demonstrates the increasingly deep cooperation between China and Luxembourg in tourism, people-to-people exchange, the economy, and other fields. Remich Mayor Jacques Sitz said that the Dragon Boat Festival has become one of Remich’s most representative international cultural events; dragon boat sport symbolizes unity, cooperation, and striving forward, qualities closely aligned with Remich’s diverse and inclusive urban spirit.

At the event, 15 teams from different sectors of China and Luxembourg competed fiercely on the Moselle River. The cultural activity zone was equally vibrant—the traditional instrumental ensemble of the China Conservatory of Music performed on instruments including the pipa (琵琶), a plucked lute; the guzheng (古筝), a Chinese zither; and the dizi (笛子), a transverse bamboo flute. The “Tea for Harmony” intangible cultural heritage themed exhibition centered on the cultures of Yunnan’s ethnic minorities, presenting tea arts, clothing, cultural and creative products, and other content.

The 2025 “Hello! China” China-Serbia International Dragon Boat Festival was held from May 24 to 25 in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, attracting nearly 20 dragon boat teams from China and Serbia and hundreds of spectators. On the opening day, nearly 20 dragon boat teams from China, Serbia, Romania, and other countries took part in the competition.

On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival in 2026, the Silk Road Dragon Soars · Racing on the Aegean—Second “China-Greece Friendship Cup” Dragon Boat Race, jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Greece and Chinese overseas associations in Greece, was successfully held at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre in Marathon, Greece. The atmosphere was at once lively and solemn, with stirring drumbeats resounding through the venue; nearly 1,000 guests, including representatives from various sectors of China and Greece, overseas Chinese associations, participating athletes, and members of the public, gathered together.

An overseas session of Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province’s “Overseas Chinese Hometown China ‘Knot’” Dragon Boat Festival series was held at the harbor in Badalona, Spain. Six dragon boat teams from China and Spain were divided into three groups and competed fiercely. Zhou Jianhong, president of the Barcelona Qingtian Hometown Association, said that he would bring seven Spanish friends to participate in Qingtian dragon boat culture themed activities, allowing them to experience Qingtian’s dragon boat culture.

On May 24, the China Cultural Centre in Malta, the Birgu Regatta Club, the Malta-China Chamber of Commerce, and the Malta Chinese Association jointly held the inaugural “Dragon Boat Festival Cup” China-Malta Dragon Boat Friendship Race in the picturesque ancient city of Birgu.

On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival in 2026, lanterns hung high over the square of the Chinese Business Center in Bratislava, Slovakia, while the fragrance of zongzi filled the air. Nearly 300 representatives of overseas Chinese from across Slovakia, together with teachers and students from two local Chinese schools, gathered to celebrate the traditional festival in a foreign land. Students from the China-Slovakia Mengxiang Academy and Jinghua Chinese School presented traditional cultural performances.

In Norway, the fragrance of zongzi filled Oslo’s Panda Restaurant, where local overseas Chinese organizations distributed several hundred boxes of zongzi gifts to Chinese residents and Norwegian friends. In Budapest, Hungary, a Chinese Dragon Boat Culture Festival was held, with Chinese and Hungarian guests making zongzi together.

Zhou Sumeng, vice president of the Russian Federation of Overseas Chinese Youth, said that the Dragon Boat Festival ideals of “harmony in diversity” (和而不同) and “appreciating each other’s beauty and sharing beauty together” (美美与共) are highly consistent with the values pursued by a community with a shared future for humanity. When foreign friends take part in dragon boat races, taste Chinese zongzi, and listen to Dragon Boat Festival stories, they are not merely experiencing a culture, but also encountering a spirit and a set of values.

On May 31, 2025, the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, people took part in dragon boat races on the Cisadane River in Tangerang, Indonesia, while Chinese residents commemorated the festival in various ways. In addition to dragon boat racing, one man also took part in a duck-catching activity in the river.

Huamao Logistics Thailand created a themed event titled “Fragrant Zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival · Enjoying Happiness in Thailand.” Through bilingual Chinese-Thai explanations of the festival’s origins, dragon boat racing, tastings of Chinese zongzi and Thai spice zongzi, and livestreams of Chinese dragon boat races, the event strengthened the deep integration of Chinese and Thai cultural elements. Huamao Logistics Cambodia held an event themed “Paddle by Paddle, Rowing toward Wider Markets,” combining the festival with team cohesion building and localized brand practice.

Zhang Guodong, chairman of the Myanmar Chinese Media Group, said that when dragon boat racing becomes a cultural symbol through which the world perceives China, what we see is not merely the rebirth of a festival, but the confident advance of an ancient civilization toward the world through shouzheng chuangxin (守正创新)—preserving its essential traditions while pursuing innovation.

In 2026, the lively scenes of Sri Lanka’s Dragon Boat Cultural Festival were no less impressive than those in China, with 19 teams participating in the dragon boat competition. The spirit of tongzhou gongji—working together in the same boat—the patriotic sentiment of remembering worthy predecessors, and the wishes for health and well-being through harmony with nature carried by the Dragon Boat Festival are crossing the boundaries of language and ethnicity, becoming a gentle bond for dialogue between different civilizations.

Japan was one of the earliest countries outside China to receive Dragon Boat Festival culture. After the festival was introduced to Japan, it combined with the local “Boys’ Festival” on May 5, giving rise to a distinctive Japanese Dragon Boat Festival culture. On this day, Japanese people hang carp streamers, evoking the Chinese cultural image of “the carp leaping over the Dragon Gate” (鲤鱼跃龙门), as a wish for boys to grow up healthy.

During the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival, Osaka held a “Dragon Boat Festival Cultural Study Activity,” attracting more than 20 Taiwanese overseas residents in Japan and Japanese participants with an interest in Taiwanese culture. Together they immersed themselves in a cultural program combining language, Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, and Hakka traditions. The Osaka International House Foundation also held an experiential lecture introducing Taiwanese Dragon Boat Festival culture.

Korea’s Dragon Boat Festival culture likewise has a long history. The Gangneung Danoje Festival (江陵端午祭) is Korea’s most representative Dragon Boat Festival cultural event, sharing the same origin as China’s Dragon Boat Festival while developing along a different course. Korea has preserved many traditional folk activities during the festival, including swinging and wrestling. Unlike China, however, the Korean Danoje Festival places greater emphasis on the combination of ritual worship and shamanic traditions.

The 2026 “Australia-China Tasting · Dragon Boat Festival Banquet” celebration for overseas Chinese in Australia was held in Sydney on the evening of June 19. Organized by Australia Vision Media and the Australia-China Cultural Friendship Association, the event brought together more than 100 representatives from Australia’s political, business, and overseas Chinese communities to celebrate the festival. Media organizations including Australian Chinese Television also provided extensive coverage of Dragon Boat Festival activities.

Li Fen, chairwoman of the New Zealand Huaxia Multicultural Arts Exchange Center, said that as overseas Chinese, “we are witnessing outstanding traditional Chinese culture taking root and flourishing in foreign lands. Whenever I see people of different skin colors and different languages participating together in Dragon Boat Festival activities, experiencing Qu Yuan’s patriotic spirit and the distinctive appeal of Chinese culture, I always feel a deep sense of cultural confidence and national pride.”

South Africa is the country in Africa where the Dragon Boat Festival has spread most deeply. To celebrate the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, the third “Culture China · Cape Town Dragon Boat Festival,” jointly organized by the Cape Town Chinese Community and the Cape Town Dragon Boat Association, opened from May 24 to 25, 2025, at Battery Park in Cape Town’s Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Across the shimmering water, paddlers of different skin colors moved their paddles in unison as more than ten teams cut through the waves and raced for the lead. This year’s competition had 10 participating teams, with events including men’s, women’s, and mixed 200-meter and 1,000-meter races, as well as dragon boat tug-of-war.

Among the competitors were young and middle-aged adults, white-haired elderly participants, and a team composed of breast cancer patients. Chinese Consul General in Cape Town You Wenze and Cape Town Mayor Hill-Lewis served as drummers for their respective crews and took part in the 1,500-meter dragon boat speed race. The Cape Argus reported that “although he was soaked from head to toe, Hill-Lewis thoroughly enjoyed dragon boating.” Hill-Lewis said excitedly: “This is my first time on a dragon boat, and it is absolutely fantastic!” He added that the Dragon Boat Festival allowed local residents to experience delicious tea, remarkable traditional Chinese medicine, and fascinating Dragon Boat Festival customs.

Igsaan Sali, chairman of the Cape Town Dragon Boat Association, has witnessed the festival steadily “winning more and more fans” locally. He explained that since the festival began, “the scale of the event has grown year by year, and the number of teams and competitors has increased year by year.” By 2025, the number of participating teams had reached 13, with nearly 200 competitors. Sali regarded the Dragon Boat Festival as an excellent way to experience Chinese culture, saying that it “promotes a wonderful dialogue between cultures and allows South Africans to understand the differences and similarities between the two cultures.”

Alongside the dragon boat races, the event also featured a lively “dragon boat tug-of-war” competition, a Chinese cultural exhibition area, and stalls offering Chinese handicrafts and food. At the Confucius Institute booth of the University of Cape Town, children lined up to play touhu (投壶) and ring toss; the acupuncture experience area of the Confucius Institute at the University of the Western Cape attracted many local visitors; and South African young women gathered at the Confucius Institute booth of Stellenbosch University to try on Quanzhou zanhua (泉州簪花), the distinctive floral head adornments associated with Quanzhou.

People tasted traditional Chinese foods such as zongzi and roast duck and explored distinctive handicrafts, filling the festival grounds with laughter and joy. Dong Gang, a representative of the Cape Town Chinese community, said: “By celebrating a traditional Chinese festival together with local people through the Dragon Boat Festival, we truly feel that civilization is like water, silently nourishing all things. Civilization can cross national borders and be inherited and innovated.”

Huamao Logistics Africa organized Dragon Boat Festival themed team-building and joint activities for its Tanzania team and business clients, bringing Dragon Boat Festival culture to the east coast of Africa.