Haikou’s main Dragon Boat Festival races will take place on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20 in the waters west of Yundong Library (海口云洞图书馆). A wider Dragon Boat Cultural Experience Week runs from June 14 to 21, overlapping with China’s three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday from June 19 to 21.
A Much Bigger Event in 2026
Organisers say at least 100 teams will take part this year, compared with nearly 40 teams and almost 1,000 athletes in 2025. The 2026 field is expected to include eight professional open-group teams from overseas and other parts of China, together with 92 public-group teams representing Hainan cities and counties, Haikou districts, companies and community organisations.
The open group will compete in a 500-metre straight-line race using 12-person dragon boats. The public group, which includes local amateur and community teams, will race over 200 metres. The planned field includes teams from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as professional teams from Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan.
Supporting Events
The programme extends beyond the races. On the morning of June 19, the opening ceremony will include the traditional ritual of painting the pupils onto the dragon heads, symbolically bringing the boats to life before competition begins.
From June 14 to 21, a dragon boat-themed market and Dragon Boat Festival folk-culture carnival will run alongside the event. Visitors can expect local food, intangible cultural heritage crafts and dragon boat-themed cultural products, adding a broader cultural programme around the two days of racing.
A separate cultural performance connected to the event will be held at the Hainan Provincial Song and Dance Theatre on the evening of June 19, featuring traditional music and dance performances.
Getting to the Race Venue
The race course is on the waterfront immediately west of Yundong Library, close to Century Park and the northern end of Duhai Road. Published transport guidance for Yundong Library lists bus routes 32, 50, 57, 72, 77 and 106 to the Shijigongyuan stop, written in Chinese as 世纪公园, followed by a short walk to the waterfront.
What Has Not Yet Been Announced
As of June 16, organisers had confirmed the two racing days and the June 19 morning opening ceremony, but had not published precise starting times for individual heats.
Expect a Busy Waterfront
Post-event reporting for the 2025 competition recorded approximately 219,000 visits over its two racing days. With the number of participating teams expected to more than double this year, spectators should arrive early and check live traffic and weather information before travelling to the venue.
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