Enormous dragon boat draws crowds in Hunan
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A 99.9-meter-long dragon boat attracted residents and tourists to its launch ceremony held in Lanxi township of Yiyang in Hunan province on Monday.
With a width of 1.88 meters, the boat can carry 420 people altogether.
During the race, some of the rowers sit and the others stand, thus the boat is called double-rower. The festival has a long history, originated from the commemoration of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet from the Chu state during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).
In 2016, the double-rower dragon boat was listed as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage.
The race will be held on the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 22, bringing 22 teams to the Lanxi River.