The Hangzhou Xixi Wetland hosts the 2024 International Dragon Boat Cultural Festival on June 10, 2024, the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. Photo: IC

 

In the run up to the Dragon Boat Festival on Monday, many places across the country held traditional dragon boat races. However, recent reports of two dragon boat accidents have raised public concern. Following the accidents, local dragon boat race organizers stated that they were strengthening safety awareness to ensure the smooth operation of this water sport.

During a training session on Thursday, a dragon boat capsized in a river in Xiushan county in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, killing three people and injuring several others. The team members were preparing for a local dragon boat race that was scheduled to be held from Saturday to Sunday. The race was later canceled.

Later on Saturday, another man was reported dead after a similar dragon boat accident occurred during a race in Huangmei county, Central China's Hubei Province. 

The accidents, sounding an alarm for the public, have propelled nationwide organizers and participants of the dragon boat races and local authorities to further strengthen regulations and supervision. 

Before the arrival of this year's dragon boat races, many local governments had issued regulations on race safety. For example, in March, the government of Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, issued a notice on the management measures for promoting safe dragon boat activities, requiring local people's governments to annually issue initiative letters on the safety of water areas for dragon boat activities. Maritime management agencies are required to supervise and manage water safety along inland waterways during dragon boat activities.

The authorities of the Xinzhou district in Shangrao, East China's Jiangxi Province, issued a notice on May 24 regarding the safety and management of spontaneous dragon boat activities organized by local residents in the jurisdiction.

Wannian county in Jiangxi also recently issued a notice on the regulation of dragon boat activities during the Dragon Boat Festival, stating that each dragon boat must have a designated person in charge who must sign a commitment letter. Additionally, there must be a village committee member accompanying the boat, a detailed navigation plan, and safety responsibility agreements signed by the township authorities, village authorities, and dragon boat teams.

Organizers of a dragon boat race in Yongzhou, Hunan Province told the Global Times on Monday that they were placing extra emphasis on safety issues during this year's competition.

"This year, we have included extra safety measures while preparing for the competition, including increasing personnel and funding in various aspects such as preparation, logistics, and emergency response, and strictly adhering to the national dragon boat racing rules," Zhou Jingzhong, Party chief of the Daoxian County's Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Television and Sports, told the Global Times on Monday. "This will effectively ensure the safety of our competition." 

Zhou noted that dragon boat racing itself is a water sport with inherent risks, but that organizers are striving to minimize these risks. 

"For example, we require all team members to wear life jackets during races and training sessions, and we strictly require all team members to know how to swim," he said. "In the history of our organized dragon boat races, there have been no accidents or casualties." 

Safety is always our top priority in organizing competitions, as it encourages more people to actively participate, Zhou said. 

With 212 boats taking part, the dragon boat race held in Zhou's county in Central China's Hunan Province on June 2 broke the Guinness World Record for the "largest dragon boat race (team)."

At the same time, some regions also suspended or postponed dragon boat races because the gaokao (college entrance examination) coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival.

For example, the dragon boat race in Jinan, East China's Shandong Province, was postponed to the following weekend due to the college entrance examination. In Xianyou county, East China's Fujian Province, the originally scheduled race on Sunday was postponed to Monday.

Held on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, fell on Monday this year.