On June 13th, drumbeats thundered across the waterways of Liwan, Guangzhou, as the Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament of the First Liwan Dragon Boat Carnival entered its second day of competition. Eight men's 22-person standard dragon boat teams gathered on the racecourse, battling it out on the water in two rounds of out-and-back time trials and bringing the tension and excitement of traditional folk sports directly before spectators.

The carnival market alongside the racecourse was also packed with visitors and full of lively local flavor. Stalls featuring local specialty foods, handmade cultural and creative products, agricultural specialties, folk trinkets and leisure snacks lined up one after another. Neighborhood residents and tourists shuttled through the market between races, waiting for the next round of dragon boat racing while browsing stalls, sampling delicacies and hunting for good finds. Sweet snacks, traditional souvenirs and water-town specialties were available in abundance. Adults and children alike beamed with joy, as the warm everyday charm of the marketplace intertwined with the passion of the dragon boat races, forming a vivid picture of Liwan's water-town life.

With dragon boats as its medium, the invitational deeply explores traditional water-town folk culture. It has not only enriched the public's cultural and sports life and strengthened neighborhood bonds, but also built a platform for exchange and interaction among chambers of commerce, communities and villages.

水秀花香荔湾龙舟嘉年华，水乡集市燃旺烟火气

6月13日，广州荔湾的河涌上鼓声雷动，第一届水秀花香荔湾龙舟嘉年华龙舟邀请赛进入第二个比赛日。8支男子22人标准龙舟队齐集赛道，在两轮往返计时赛中展开水上争锋，将传统民俗体育的张力与热度直接拉到观众眼前。

赛道一侧的嘉年华集市同样人潮涌动，烟火气十足。本土特色美食、手作文创、农特产品、民俗小玩意和休闲小吃等摊位依次铺开，街坊和游客在观赛间隙穿梭其间，一边等候下一轮龙舟竞渡，一边逛集市、品风味、淘好物。香甜小吃、传统手信和水乡特产琳琅满目，大人小孩笑意盈盈，浓浓的市井人情与热血沸腾的龙舟赛场彼此交织，构成一幅生动的荔湾水乡画卷。

此次龙舟邀请赛以龙舟为载体，深耕水乡传统民俗文化，不仅丰富了群众的文体生活、凝聚了邻里乡情，也为商会、社区和乡村搭建起交流互动的平台。

文 | 记者 江皓轩 通讯员 荔宣
图 | 通讯员提供
译 | 陈冠臻
英文审校 | 曾敏