On September 27, the 2026 ICF Dragon Boat World Cup concluded successfully with 13 competitive events in Yuanling, known as the “Hometown of Traditional Chinese Dragon Boats”.
After arriving at the ancient county of Yuanling, 24 top international dragon boat teams from 16 countries and regions were captivated by its age-old dragon boat culture.
They learned that Yuanling’s dragon boat racing originated from ancient ancestors navigating boats to worship Panhu, the progenitor of the Miao people. This folk tradition predates dragon boat rituals commemorating Qu Yuan by more than 3,000 years, striking them as nothing short of miraculous. Mr. Min Htike, team leader of the Myanmar dragon boat team, remarked excitedly: “This is a legendary and poetic sport. The beautiful legends give us strength.”
Medals were decided over 200m, 500m and 2000m, with the intense and thrilling Dragon Boat marathon over a 14km distance rounded out the program.
At the World Cup, teams from Yuanling claimed six gold medals and those from Indonesia, Ukraine and AIN-A Rodnik secured two titles.
In the 14-kilometre marathon, Ukraine finished the competition in style, taking gold in 1:06:02. Myanmar Dragon Boat Team battled to silver in 1:06:41, while China Yuanling Jietan Tea Dragon Boat Club completed the podium in 1:08:37.
On race day, a line of dragon boats set off from the foot of Er’you Mountain, home to China’s Book Mountain, on the Youshui River at the starting gun. Like water-borne dragons, they surged forward all the way to the finish line at the Yuanshui Dragon Boat Square with crowds flocking to the Book Mountain to watch the races.
Wang Meng, director of the Development Division of the Chinese Canoe Association, Water Sports Centre of the General Administration of Sport of China, explained that the 14-kilometre marathon, which was specially designed to match the water terrain of Yuanling, has been introduced for the first time at ICF Dragon Boat World Cup.
“When the ICF team inspected the venue, I was convinced that the Yuanshui River in Yuanling would showcase the dragon boat marathon perfectly to the world,” said Wang Meng. He added that his top priority going forward is to push dragon boat racing into the Olympic Games. “This is the aspiration of Chinese people.” He stated that he will actively promote dragon boat racing as a competitive sport for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
In recent years, Yuanling has drawn growing global attention with its international outlook.
He Xiaoming, daughter of Marshal He Long, travelled to Yuanling to watch the ICF Dragon Boat World Cup in person. “I’m overjoyed! I had not expected such a high level of openness here, hosting an international dragon boat competition with so many teams taking part.” In her view, Yuanling, like the Huaihua International Land Port, serves as a vital window for the city’s opening-up to the outside world.
Beyond dragon boat culture, the athletes from across the globe have also fallen for Yuanling’s mountain scenery, local delicacies and folk customs.
Wu Lihua, a member of the Guam dragon boat team, traces his roots back to Nantong, Jiangsu Province. He left home at 16 to build his career and visited Yuanling for the first time on this trip. His first stop was the local museum. “It boasts profound heritage and rich, diverse culture,” he said. He also spoke of Jiemuxi, a place with compelling stories. He had watched a film set there and was amazed to learn that this is where the story originated, resolving to visit when time permits. He believes the Book Mountain, Jietan Tea and Sun-dried Meat all carry profound cultural connotations worthy of exploration.
(Translated by Yang Hong)