GUIYANG, China, June 11 (Xinhua) -- A dragon boat race kicks off on Wuyang River of Shibing County, in southwest China's Guizhou Province, local authorities said Friday.
A total of 720 athletes from 30 teams from the provinces of Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou and other parts of China participated in the dragon boat race to celebrate this year's Dragon Boat Festival, which falls next Monday.
The race lasts from June 11 to 12, and the teams ranking the top 12 will be awarded 300,000 yuan (about 469,756 U.S. dollars) in total, organizers said.
For this year's celebration, the county also held a series of other activities, including long-table banquets of the ethnic Miao group to entertain guests and parades organized by ethnic minorities in traditional costumes.
As one of the highlights, a 98.8-meter-long dragon boat was carried by 2,169 men down to the river. In 2016, the 77.8-meter-long dragon boat achieved by locals was certified by Guinness World Records. Enditem
