WUHAN — After more than two decades, traditional handcrafted wooden dragon boat racing has returned to Zigui county in Central China’s Hubei province, reviving a cultural practice deeply linked to the Dragon Boat Festival and the legacy of the ancient poet Qu Yuan.

The restoration of this tradition was evident as 70-year-old boat builder Zheng Xianglong and his team spent nearly three months meticulously crafting 14 cedar wood dragon boats. Alongside his son and craftsmen mostly in their 60s, Zheng shaped the vessels by hand before spending an additional three weeks on the banks of the Yangtze River, where he supervised crews during training sessions. Despite the intense summer heat turning his skin darker, Zheng remained committed to ensuring the boats’ quality ahead of the races, emphasizing the personal significance of the boats to him.

The two-day dragon boat races, which commenced on Friday, marked the first time in over 20 years that wooden dragon boats competed in Zigui, the hometown of Qu Yuan. Local authorities attributed the revival to a desire to reconnect with cultural roots and reinforce regional identity. Since 2000, fiberglass boats, favored for their lightness and durability in international competitions, had largely replaced traditional wooden vessels across China.

This comeback in Zigui is part of a nationwide resurgence of Dragon Boat Festival customs. The festival, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, is traditionally celebrated with dragon boat racing—a practice commemorating Qu Yuan, a patriot and poet from over two millennia ago. The event has expanded beyond its historical confines, attracting vast participation throughout the country. For instance, Guangdong province hosted more than 500 races involving nearly 100,000 participants during the three-day festival period. Meanwhile, Jiangxi province held its Nanchang International Dragon Boat Race, drawing global competitors like Andreas Willms, a German participant who has competed multiple times. Willms noted the communal nature of the sport and felt a strong cultural connection to Qu Yuan despite being far from his own homeland.

In Zigui, the races were conducted using the traditional wooden boats, while competition continued downstream on the Yangtze River using the modern fiberglass vessels, where student teams from 12 universities participated. For some competitors, such as Shaanxi student Zhang Pushao, the experience was symbolic, evoking a historical and cultural connection that transcended the sport itself.

Beyond the races, Dragon Boat Festival in Zigui extends over a month, involving multiple stages and unique customs. Local officials highlighted traditions such as hanging festival couplets with poetic wishes and references to Qu Yuan’s patriotism. The festival also serves as a time for family reunions, communal meals featuring zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and various cultural activities including herbal sachet making and exhibitions of Zigui embroidery, a recognized intangible cultural heritage craft.

Visitors like Chen Yuqiang from Fujian province found the festival an immersive way to engage with Qu Yuan’s legacy firsthand, deepening their understanding of the poet’s historical significance and values beyond textbook learning.

The resurgence of traditional wooden dragon boat racing is not confined to Zigui. According to Xiang Siqing, an experienced dragon boat rower from Xiantao city, similar revivals have taken place in various Hubei villages, where these boats are paraded and raced during the festival, enhancing the festive ambiance across the region.

Together, these trends underscore a national movement to preserve and celebrate China’s rich Dragon Boat Festival heritage, balancing modern developments with efforts to maintain historical customs.