Power to their paddles

He Zhizhao first took part in a dragon boat race when he was 13 years old. At that time, his father was a veteran of the traditional folk sport.

"When I was young, my father always took me to watch how he and his team members did in the races held in nearby villages and towns during the Dragon Boat Festival," said He.

People in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, would gather along the river banks of the Pearl River, which runs through the city, to watch the traditional celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival. The event falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, according to He.