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Dragon Boat race kick off in S. China

Xinhua, May 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

The 2015 China Dragon Boat Series kicked off its fourth race in Southeast China's Fuzhou city on Saturday, with 40 teams from around the country battling it out in professional, teenager and traditional divisions.

The boats are categorized in standard and traditional divisions, with race distances ranging from 100m to 200m and 500m. The finals will be held on Sunday.

Yu Hanqiao, secretary of Chinese dragon boat association, said that Dragon Boat racing is gaining popularity among the younger generations as the youngest athlete at this year's event is only 15 years old.

"Dragon boat race is not only a sport but also an important cultural heritage. Dragon boat races have become popular in more than 100 universities and colleges around the country. It is good to see that some middle school teams attend this race as well," said Yu.

The Chinese Dragon Boat Series feature seven events in total this year.

Dragon Boat races are traditionally held as part of the annual Duanwu Festival. It is celebrated in many areas of east Asia. Endi