After hosting two successful International Canoe Federation Dragon Boat World Cups in 2023 and 2024, Zigui County is hoping to bring the World Championships to the discipline's hometown.
Part of Hubei province and under the administration of Yichang, Zigui is believed to be the birthplace of Chinese poet Qu Yuan and Dragon Boat.
Yuan is also remembered for his role in the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday that starts on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
The festival took place on June 10 this year, with races held in cities across China and beyond to commemorate Yuan.
According to Wu Xiong, a member of the Leading Party Group of Zigui People’s Government, Dragon Boat “embodies the historical memory of Qu Yuan's people in his hometown, but also inherits the spirit of his descendants who are loyal, patriotic, and striving for progress.”
With a deep-rooted history in the discipline, Xiong is targeting to bring the ICF's flagship event to its home.
“To promote Dragon Boat, we have invested more than CNY170 million to build Xujiachong Harbor, a Chinese National Dragon Boat Sports Base,” Xiong said.
“It has successively held 12 Qu Yuan Cups or the National Dragon Boat Championships, six editions of the China Yangtze River Three Gorges International Dragonboat Boat Rally and eight Dragon Boat Festivals with races and other events.
“In 2023, we hosted our first ICF Dragon Boat World Cup and we are proud to have successfully hosted another edition.
“It is of great significance for Yichang and Zigui, fully demonstrating its organising.
“We look forward to more international and domestic Dragon Boat races settling in Zigui, and we hope to successfully bid for the ICF Dragon Boat World Championships in the future.”
With locals coming out in huge numbers to support the 2024 Dragon Boat World Cup, there is no doubt that the atmosphere will be electric for Dragon Boat events.
The people from the county know the significance of Qu Yuan and Dragon Boat, with many of them offering their prayers at the Qu Yuan Temple, first built in 850 AD, offering a scenic view of the Three Gorges Dam Project.
A day before the competition began at the World Cup, the Chinese Canoe Association and ICF partner BYD organised a trip for foreign athletes to the Qu Yuan temple, to showcase the historical and cultural significance behind the sport.
“We firmly believe that by holding events, we can not only promote the discipline but enhance its cultural influence and accelerate the process of its entry into the Olympic Games,” Xiong added.
“At the same time, it has also promoted the development of the sports industry and the economy, allowing more Chinese and foreign tourists to understand Zigui, come to Zigui for sightseeing, experience the magnificence of the Three Gorges, Flat Lake and the charm of Chinese and Qu Yuan culture.”
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