Handcrafted dragon boats return home as ancient festival tradition finds new life in China

FUELING TOURISM AND LOCAL ECONOMIES

The cultural celebrations are also generating significant economic benefits.

According to China's railway operator, an estimated 83 million passenger trips were expected nationwide during the Dragon Boat Festival travel period. Catering to the needs arising from tourism, dragon boat races and folk cultural events across the country, 44 tourist trains have been put into operation.

In Yichang, the city that administers Zigui, bookings for five-star hotels rose 55 percent year-on-year during the holiday period, while online searches for local cuisine increased 34 percent, according to Meituan, a major online lifestyle platform in China.

Elsewhere, the economic impact is visible as well. Online searches for dragon boat-related events in the southern Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Foshan rose about 183 percent from the previous month, while hotel search volumes near race venues more than tripled.

Diejiao, a village known for its narrow and winding waterways, in Foshan, Guangdong province, saw its dragon boat races go viral and generate more than 832 million yuan (around $123 million) in consumer spending during last year's Dragon Boat Festival.

According to local authorities, since 2023, about 130 new businesses have opened in Diejiao, while dozens of dragon boat-themed cultural products have been introduced.

In Zigui, some of the handcrafted wooden boats will remain on display at tourist sites long after the races end.

For Zheng, however, the greatest reward is not economic. It is seeing younger generations embrace a tradition he once feared might disappear.

"More and more young people are becoming interested in building and racing dragon boats," said his son, Zheng Da. "We will work harder to pass this tradition on."