Top 8 Events of Dragon Boat Racing in China

Dragon boat racing is one of the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in China and an important sport and entertainment project in China. Many dragon boat races are held throughout China each year. Here we list top 8 events of Dragon Boat Racing China for your reference. 
 

China Longzhou Tournament is the top dragon boat race with the highest level and the biggest rewards.
Time & Place:
May 29 - June 1, 2025, Yancheng, Jiangsu
October 4-6, Enyang, Bazhong, Sichuan

 

The China Dragon Boat Race Open was founded in 2011 and is one of the two brand events of the China Dragon Boat Association.  

Time	Place
Station Competition
May 17-18	Hechuan, Chongqing
May 24-25	Jingzhou, Hubei
May 24-25	Yongzhoudao, Hunan
May 30-31	Taiyuan, Shanxi
June 10-11	Xiantao, Hubei
September 30 - October 1	Zhaoping, Guangxi
Final Competition
Nov. 18-19	Nanping, Fujian

 

The 15th National Games of the People's Republic of China will be held from November 9 to 21, 2025 and co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, with the opening ceremony and closing ceremony to be held in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, respectively. The dragon boat race gets a lot of attention.
Time & Place
Trail match: June 5-7, Xiantao, Hubei
Final match: July 5-7, Foshan, Guangdong
 

Hong Kong is the birthplace of the modern dragon boat competition. As one of the highest professional events in the world, the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament has been held since 1976.
Time: Jun. 7-8, 2025
Place: Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
 

The Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament is regarded as one of the best dragon boat races in the world, attracting more than 100 dragon boat teams every year.
Time: May 30 - June 1, 2025
Place: Guangzhou, Guangdong
 

Traced back to 1979, the annual dragon boat race became a major event in Macau. In 1982, it became an international event, attracting competitors from many countries and regions.
Time: May 24, 25, 31, 2025
Place: Nam Van Lake, Macau
 

To remember Chen Jiageng, a famous patriot of China who founded Jimei University and Xiamen University and his brother Chen Jingxian, Jimei Dragon Boat Race was renamed as “Jiageng Cup” “Jingxian Cup” Dragon Boat Race. In 2006, the race was named as “Jiageng Cup” “Jingxian Cup” Cross-Strait Dragon Boat Race. 
Time: May 17-18, 2025
Place: Jimei, Xiamen, Fujian
 

Originally called Nan’ao Maritime Dragon Boat Race, the race has been held 19 times, attracting many dragon boat teams from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as many tourists. Besides the exciting races, watchers can also enjoy the traditional cultural performances of Nan’ao and taste Nan’ao sea urchin rice dumplings and special food.
Time: May 31, 2025
Place: Futian, Shenzhen

Further Reading
What is a Dragon Boat? - All You Need to Know about Dragon Boating