On June 19th, the 2026 National Dragon Boat Grand Rally · Sichuan-Chongqing and Chengdu-Deyang-Meishan-Ziyang (Xinjin) Tianfu Dragon Boat Festival officially kicked off in Xinjin District, Chengdu. The event was guided by the Chinese Dragon Boat Association and hosted by the Chongqing Sports Bureau, the Sichuan Sports Bureau, the People's Government of Chengdu Municipality, and the Office of the Sichuan Leading Group for Promoting the Chengdu-Deyang-Meishan-Ziyang Integrated Development.

At the Tianfu Dragon Boat Festival

This year's Tianfu Dragon Boat Festival has been fully upgraded in terms of both event caliber and scale. As a sports, cultural, and tourism gala that is rooted in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, radiates across the China’s western region, and connects the whole country, it represents a significant practice in advancing the Sichuan-Chongqing integrated development strategy, deepening the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, and promoting the shared integration of Bashu culture. It also serves as a vivid testament to injecting strong cultural and tourism economic momentum into the Chengdu-Deyang-Meishan-Ziyang integration initiative.

The event centered on a grand opening ceremony showcasing ‘a gathering of intangible cultural heritage’ and a dragon boat race featuring ‘a hundred boats vying for the lead.’ It integrated multiple supporting scenarios, including Sichuan-Chongqing intangible cultural heritage displays, water sports, and region-wide promotional activities, creating a diversified, integrated experience combining competition, exhibition, tourism, shopping, and entertainment.

The venue was bustling with crowds. A total of 56 dragon boat teams—comprising over 1,300 skilled rowers from Sichuan, Chongqing, Tianjin, Guangdong, Fujian, Guizhou, and other parts of the country, as well as a foreigner team—competed fiercely on the Nanhe River, putting on a thrilling water race. Visitors immersed themselves in the traditional Sichuan-Chongqing Dragon Boat Festival cultural feast, experienced intangible cultural heritage skills and selected specialty products from the region "all in one stop," and through the event, also got a taste of the diverse charm of Tianfu as a premier destination for short vacations.