More than 100 dragon boat teams compete on Dianchi Lake in Yunnan

The 11th China University Dragon Boat Championship and the 2nd Kunming Dianchi International Dragon Boat Racing were held from June 16 to 18 on Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Yunnan province. 　

As many as 108 dragon boat teams from home and abroad signed up for the competition. 　

This year, the number of participating teams is the highest on record and has the largest number of participants and the largest number of starting pistols in the history of similar events in China. 　

This is Pakistani athlete Farjad's first time joining the event.

"I feel amazing and overwhelmed by the crowd and the support that we get here," he said. 　

"Most of the members in our team have main jobs, and our common hobby is boating. We can learn more about Chinese culture in this way," said German athlete Joshua.

Kunming is a world-renowned "spring city" owing to its climate. In recent years, the city has hosted many international conferences and important events, such as the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) and the China-South Asia Expo. 　

Dragon-boat racing is an essential activity during the Dragon Boat Festival. It was prevalent in the states of Wu, Yue and Chu in ancient times, and it remains prevalent in the southern coastal areas of China today.