Dragon boats and lion dancing were the theme down at Salford Quays this weekend as teams took to the water for the 2nd Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.
Twenty four teams from universities and businesses across the north of England competed for the chance to be 2013 Dragon boat champions.
The competitors were joined by hundreds of spectators and several local dignitaries, including the Mayors of Salford and Manchester City Councils.
The VIP guest list also included the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Manchester Mr Yundong Pan and representatives from local businesses.
Opening the event with a speech, Mr Pan said: “I am delighted to be here at this traditional Chinese festival. I would like to express my sincere respects to leaders of the Chinese community and to Salford City Council for their support.
“The dragon boat festival is a very important tradition for Chinese people. I am happy to see that we have 10 student teams here today and that this is an event which Chinese and British friends can join us to watch and enjoy the festival.”
The all-day celebrations, which were organised by the Xinhua Chinese association and sponsored by Lycamobile, as well as local businesses, began with traditional Chinese ‘lion’ dancing as well performances from school children.
Chinese Dragon Boat Festivals are ancient tradition for Chinese people, dating back to 220 BC, when fishermen raced in boats to save a famous poet from drowning. Now, it is one of the fastest growing team sports, with over £12million being raised for charity in recent years.
The racing of the day saw big crowds cheer on the 24 teams who competed in three heats, with the fastest six teams going through to the final. The eventual 2013 champions were a team from Tranzcare, a coach hire company in Manchester.
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