As China gets ready to celebrate the 2025 Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, the celebration has been embraced by people around the globe.
The Chinese zodiac calendar is a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal.
In 2025, the Year of the Snake will take over from the Year of the Dragon with parades, lion dances, delicacies, and more.
While Dragon Boat activities are not a traditional part of the Spring Festival celebrations, the rest of the world has jumped one on to welcome the festivities.
The Australian city of Sydney is known to have one of the biggest Spring Festival celebrations outside of China and this year, the Darling Harbour will see three days of exhilarating races from February 7 to 9.
More than 3,000 paddlers are expected to line up on Cockle Bay Wharf as cultures come together to celebrate diversity and inclusion.
For more details on all the classes, click here.
View this post on Instagram
On January 19, more than 300 athletes took part in a competition held in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The activity was jointly organised by the Chinese Embassy in Argentina and the Buenos Aires Government, with winners produced in men's, women's, mixed men's and women's, 40+ women's and 50+ women's categories.
The same week, Cairo in Egypt hosted the Nile Dragon Boat Festival as 40+ athletes put on a show.
Chinese Embassy officials and diplomats from Hungary, Portugal, Singapore, and various sectors of Egyptian society participated in the event.
The Philippines, which hosted the 2024 International Canoe Federation Dragon Boat World Championships, have also decided to join the bandwagon.
However, the focus will shift from Puerto Princesa to Cagayan de Oro, where Dragon Boat competitions featuring participants from across the country will be held on February 1 and 2.
Related links
