NEWS | Dragon Boat Festival | Dragon Boat Race

2023 UK CHINESE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

Day 1

Saturday 17th June
Race for Amateur team

Media City Piazza (MCP) & Huron Basin,
MediaCityUK, Salford,
M50 3AZ

09:30 - 10:00

Dragon Boat Team Registration

(Handout of team flag, uniforms and racing schedule)

Location

The Front bank of Huron Basin (next to the Alchemist)

10:00

Crew Managers Meeting and Safety Briefing

Location

Race Control Centre stall (Near to the Lowry Outlet)

10:30 - 11:00

Arrival of VIP guests

Team Entrance

Location

Media City Piazza (MCP)

10:50 - 11:00

Dragon dance and lion dance

Location

Main Stage, MCP

11:10 - 12:00

Opening Ceremony

Guest Speeches
Group photo
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Paddle Awarding

Location

Main Stage, MCP

12.30

Start of Performances

*the first 12 teams are guided to prepare for loading

Location

Main Stage and On The Canal

12.40

Cultural performances (continuing until 17:00)

Location

Main Stage

13:00 - 17:15

Dragon Boat Race, two rounds for each team

Semi-final - the third round for the top 20 teams

Grand Final of Dragon Boat Race for top 6 teams

Location

Huron Basin

17:30

Award Ceremony/Trophy and Medals Presentation

Location

Main Stage, MCP

Day 2

Sunday 18th June
Race for Professional teams
(500m and 200m)

Huron Basin, MediaCityUK,
Salford,
M50 3AZ

09:00 - 10:00

Dragon boat racing for professional groups

(continuing until 16:30)

Location

Huron Basin

10:00 - 12:00

Mixed performances and culture event

Dragon and lion dancing
Singing
Dancing
Music playing
Martial arts

Provided by XCA Yinghua Choir, XCA Hongman Dance Troop and other UK based Chinese Communities

Location

Main Stage, MCP

12:00 - 16:15

Performance by Salford Music and Performance Team

Salford College Performance Team

Boat Racing Continues at Huron Basin

Location

Main Stage, MCP

16:30

2023 Chinese Dragon Boat Festival Closing Ceremony

Location

Main Stage, MCP

NEWS RELEASE 2nd JUNE 2023

Arts and Performance Program announced.
Two Days of incredible and beautiful performances from our Manchester and wider community.
Saturday 17th June 12:40 to 16:40
Sunday 18th June 10:00 to 16:00

Saturday 17 June 2023 | 12:40 – 16:40

Dragon Dance, by Jinlong Martial Arts and UK National Martial Arts Troop
Chinese Martial Arts Performance, by Jinlong Martial Arts and UK National Martial Arts Troop
Dance <The Ripen Pomegranate>, by Hongman Dance Troop of Xinhua Chinese Association
Children Chorus <Listening to Mummy Talking>, <Always with Me>, by Manchester Chinese Children Choir
Clothing Performance <Thousand Years of Han Costume>, by Arts of China
Chorus <Jasmine Flower>, <Scarborough Fair>, by Yinghua Choir of Xinhua Chinese Association
Children Chorus <Your Smile is So Charming>, <Song of Dim Sum> , by Bowen Education
Female Solo <A Query to the Spring>, <I dreamed a Dream>, Annie Wang, Xinhua Chinese Association
Dance <Nomadic Time>, by Hongman Dance Troop of Xinhua Chinese Association
Clothing Performance <Guangxi Minority Dresses>, by UK Guangxi Culture and Tourism Association
Chorus <1><2>, by Voices of Hope, Manchester
Erhu Duet <Horse Racing>, by Mr Frank Wang and Miss Xiaohan Yin
Dance <Beauties by the Autumn Late>, by North-eastern China Fellowship Association
Bamboo Stick Dance <Let us Dance>, by UK Guangxi Culture and Tourism Association
Male and Female Quartet <Stepping on Waves>, <Walking the Country Road>, Green Grass Group of Xinhua Chinese Association
Dance <The Vast Land>, UK Colchester Association of Chinese Cultures
Guzheng Solo <The Dancing Melody of Yao Region>, by Bowen Education
Dragon Dance, by Jinlong Martial Arts and UK National Martial Arts Troop
Chinese Martial Arts Performance, by Jinlong Martial Arts and UK National Martial Arts Troop
Dance <My Jiuzhai Village>, by Hongman Dance Troop of Xinhua Chinese Association
Waist Drum Dance <My Beautiful Motherland>, by North-eastern China Fellowship Association
Child Solo <Fight Song>, By Ruicheng Li, North-eastern China Fellowship Association
Talk Show <Zongzi>, by Will Hart, Manchester Cultural Centre Chinese School
Female Chorus <Weishan Lake>, by Yinghua Choir of Xinhua Chinese Association
Dance <Painting You>, by North-eastern China Fellowship Association
Children Chorus <I want to Say Thankyou>, <Mum is the Best>, by Manchester Cultural Centre Chinese School
Children Performance <Celebrating Duanwu Festival>, by UK Miaomiao Education
Dance <Jasmine Flower>, by Hongman Dance Troop of Xinhua Chinese Association
Chorus <My Many Friends on the World>, by UK Association of Chinese Traditional Medicine
Dance <The Elegant Girls in Green>, by Bowen Education
Femail Solo <Never Enough>, by Chujia Yang, North-eastern China Fellowship Association
Clothing Performance <Chinese Cheongsam>, by Manchester Cultural Centre Chinese School
Chorus <My Flying Youth Bird>, by Yinghua Choir of Xinhua Chinese Association

Day 2: Sunday 18 June 2023 | 10:00 – 12:00

Chorus <Jasmine Flower>, <Scarborough Fair>, by Yinghua Choir of Xinhua Chinese Association
Dance <Love of South Water Lake>, by UK Federation of Guangxi Societies
Children Chorus <Listening to Mummy Talking>, <Always with Me>, by Manchester Chinese Children Choir
Dance <Nomadic Time>, by Hongman Dance Troop of Xinhua Chinese Association
Dance <Colours of Blue and Green>, by Manchester Chinese Dancing Institute
Female Solo <A Query to the Spring>, <I dreamed a Dream>, Annie Wang, Xinhua Chinese Association
Dance <Jasmine Flower>, by Hongman Dance Troop of Xinhua Chinese Association
Children Chorus < A Pair of Hand>, <Hello>, by Manchester Cultural Centre Chinese School
Dance <Beauties by the Autumn Late>, by North-eastern China Fellowship Association
Male and Female Quartet <Stepping on Waves>, <Walking the Country Road>, Green Grass Group of Xinhua Chinese Association
Dance <The Ripen Pomegranate>, by Hongman Dance Troop of Xinhua Chinese Association
Children Chorus <Happy because of You>, < Your Smile is So Charming >, by Manchester Cultural Centre Chinese School
Dance <Hero Huo Yuan Jia>, by Manchester Chinese Dancing Institute
Male Solo <Let ‘s Toast, My Friend>, by Zihua Zhang
Dance <Cheerful Songs over the Land>, by UK Guangxi Culture and Tourism Association
Female Chorus <Weishan Lake>, by Yinghua Choir of Xinhua Chinese Association
Dance Solo <The Dai Girl>, by Kelly Yang, Manchester Chinese Dancing Institute
Waist Drum Dance <My Beautiful Motherland>, by North-eastern China Fellowship Association
Dance <My Jiuzhai Village>, by Hongman Dance Troop of Xinhua Chinese Association
Children Performance <Celebrating Duanwu Festival>, by UK Miaomiao Education
Clothing Performance <Chinese Cheongsam>, by Manchester Cultural Centre Chinese School
Dance <Painting You>, by North-eastern China Fellowship Association
Chorus <My Flying Youth Bird>, by Yinghua Choir of Xinhua Chinese Association

12:00 ~ 16:00 Salford Music and Performance Team

12:00pm – Senior Brass Quintet

12:35pm – Salford Steel (Steel Pans)

1:20pm – Senior Brass Quintet

1:50pm – Salford Steel

2:35pm – Senior Brass Quintet

3:10pm – Salford Steel

NEWS RELEASE 10th MARCH 2023

The UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival comes to Salford Quays 17-18 June 2023
Event to be bigger than before, bringing together the Xinhua Chinese Association event and the British Dragon Boat Association
Festival across 2 days will feature amateurs as well as more experienced racers
Applications for team entries now open

A collaboration between Xinhua Chinese Association, Salford City Council and the British Dragon Boat Racing Association (BDA) will create an unmissable two-day event. The first day, Saturday 17 June will see amateur racers taking to the water, with more experienced teams competing on the second day, Sunday 18 June.

Dragon Boat Racing is a fun-filled, adrenaline pumping, water sports activity, which originated in China around 2300 years ago. It has taken place at Salford Quays for the last decade, and this year it is set to be bigger and better than ever before.

The event is open to teams and competitors aged 16 and over, and for those spectating, it is a chance to support the teams racing and engage with Chinese culture. There will be spectacular cultural performances, including tai chi and kung fu and lessons in Chinese calligraphy.

The launch of the UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival 2023 and Memorandum of Understanding signing was held 9 March at The Lowry, opposite Huron Basin, where the event will be held in June. Representatives of the Parties signed an agreement to work collaboratively to make this year’s UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival even more successful than previous years.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “I’m delighted that Salford City Council is supporting what promises to be another fantastic event for the city. I’d like to thank everyone involved in helping to make this possible.

This event presents a great opportunity for us to showcase our city to all those coming to take part and experience dragon boat racing and to a huge TV audience watching in China. As a city, we’re proud of our links with the Chinese community here in Greater Manchester and proud to be hosting this incredible event.”

Dr. Hanxin Yang, Chairman, Xinhua Chinese Association said: “We look forward to building friendship and understanding through this event here in Salford. Our aim is to help make contributions to multiculturalism and an inclusive society.”

Neil Pickles, Chairman, the BDA said: “This year’s Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, to be held here in Salford, will be a great opportunity to showcase the best club groups from around the country. As well as enjoying the Chinese culture, which is so important and ingrained in our sport.”

Applications are now closed The deadline to apply was Friday 12 May 2023

The festival is a charitable event, with 10% (£70 of £700) of teams’ entry fee being donated to Action For Children.