Tourism Special: Record numbers for dragon boat gala

Simply the words "dragon boat" are sufficient to fire the imagination of both Chinese and foreign children, let alone the spectacle of these exotic crafts taking to the water and competing for victory in a series of races, surrounded by myth and history.

For those fortunate enough to be in Hangzhou, between May 28 and July 5 this year, there is an unmissable opportunity to observe this 2,000-year-old tradition at first hand as part of the Duanwu Festival, held annually in this eastern China city.

The festival, a must-see cultural event in Hangzhou, one of the most beautiful cities in the Zhejiang province, commemorates the death of the celebrated poet, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in 278 BC as a protest against political corruption.