The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival returned to Salford Quays this weekend for its ninth instalment to the beat of drums and the splash of paddles.
The two-day event which is the largest Dragon Boat Race in Europe saw more than fifty teams compete across amateur and professional level competition.
The choir of paddlers and drummers lured many spectators down to the Quays which were transformed into an oriental wonderland with lanterns hanging from trees and colourful flags adorning the waterside.
The festival also offered a plethora of authentic Chinese experiences ranging from explosive Tai-Chi to traditional calligraphy to authentic Chinese food.
Day one saw forty amateur teams from a multitude of varying backgrounds compete with many Chinese student associations taking part as well as work groups from across Greater Manchester and beyond.
Two paddlers part of the Xinhua Chinese Association, William Murphy, 27, and Gary Xie, 25, showed their enjoyment for the event.
Mr Murphy said: “It was really good, I think I’ve got the hang of it now, the first round I was leaning too far forward and the people behind me got pretty wet!
“In the racing part there’s a lot of waiting, but I quite enjoyed just paddling over to the starting line, that was quite relaxed.”
Dragon boats can range from 10 paddlers in a small boat to 20 in a large one, both featuring a steersperson to control direction and a drummer to conduct timing.
The sport differs to rowing in the fact that the oars are not attached to the boat with riggers therefore can be considered a closer relative to canoeing.
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Day two saw the arrival in vigour of the professional teams that had made their way to Salford from across the country.
One of these teams were Preston Dragons with two of their paddlers Sandra Fletcher, 57, and Dave Iveson, 46.
Mr Iveson said: “We’re a pretty new club. We’ve been going for seven years, this our fourth year of racing at the Dragon Boat Festival.
“It’s good fun, I think we’re the only team who’s got two crews here so we’ve got two full boats, meaning forty paddlers.”
Ms Fletcher explained how she got involved in the sport.
She said: “I got asked by a friend whose dad ran Preston Marina and it was her dad’s dreams to have a dragon boat club based in Preston.
“So I was asked to a dance and I’m scared to death of water, but I said yes never meaning to go back, but when I got in the boat I fell in love with it.”
Both paddlers described the best part of the sport as “racing, racing, racing.”
Mr Iveson said: “This is the event that you love to come and do well at and you can gauge yourself against everybody else and it doesn’t discriminate against anybody, there’s a club called Purple Warriors, they’re ex armed forces who’ve been injured in the line of duty.
Ms Fletcher echoed the inclusivity of the sport mentioning a breast cancer survivors league that race too.
Mr Iveson, who won a bronze medal with GB in last year’s European championships, praised the Salford location.
He said: “It’s a really nice venue, the water is lovely, the quay itself is absolutely brilliant, it’s like a mill pond to paddle on.”
He added: “It’s nice vibes and atmosphere around the place which is ace to see, everybody comes and chats and it’s really friendly so hopefully we’ll be back next year.”
Great to see that the professional Chinese Dragon Boat Racing @MediaCityUK, Salford Quays has been a great success!👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you to the British Dragon Boat Association @BDAnews @BDAInfo for your involvement & participation in the festival this year.#SpiritOfSalford #❤️Salford pic.twitter.com/kbwoa8O7xI
— SalfordMayor (@salford_mayor) June 18, 2023
The Preston Dragons came to Salford Quays a week after participating in the 30km Vogalonga Regatta in Venice.
On day one the amateurs raced 200m in any boat composition while on day two the professionals competed in men’s, women’s and mixed events over almost the full length of the old dock nine basin totalling 500m.
Chinese Dragon Boating is a sport on the up, growing in participation as well as reputation, featuring twice in the World Games.
With the closing of this year’s edition, paddlers will be waiting with dragon-bated breath for the announcement of next year’s dates.
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