The Dragon Boat Festival in Ziyang, Sichuan, kept residents and visitors exceptionally busy. From the early morning mist, crowds gathered along both banks of the Tuo River to witness the grand return of dragon boat races after a 35-year hiatus. Under the warm daylight, people flocked to the Square of the Original Homeland of the Shu People to explore markets and savor folk customs, immersing themselves in traditional charm. As night fell, spectators stayed by the river to enjoy the intangible cultural heritage spectacle of molten iron fireworks and drone light shows, while indulging in the city's vibrant food streets. From dawn till dusk, a city-wide, community-shared Dragon Boat Festival panorama unfolded, marking the opening of the "Ziyang is a Great Place" 2026 Dragon Boat Festival series of events. The activities ran from June 18th to 28th, leveraging the ecological resources of the "One River, Two Banks" of the Tuo River and the millennia-old cultural heritage of the Shu people's homeland. The event integrated folk tradition preservation, cultural and sports benefits for the public, consumption stimulation, and urban-rural coordination, establishing a comprehensive cultural and tourism development system encompassing entertainment, food, tourism, and shopping. Local officials stated that meticulously planning this event aimed to use the traditional festival as a vehicle to revitalize local cultural heritage, stimulate urban consumption, unite public sentiment, and continuously polish the city's cultural tourism brand.
Entertainment in Ziyang's Festival: A Symphony of Tradition and Trend
The Tuo River dragon boat races, returning after 35 years, commenced with great fanfare. Eighteen teams from Sichuan and Chongqing competed fiercely in 500-meter straight sprints and 1200-meter pursuit races. The powerful drumbeats echoed across the river, and the rhythmic paddling sliced through the waves, vividly embodying the dragon boat spirit of unity and striving for excellence, while rekindling the city's collective festival memories. Seventy-two-year-old Tian Hong made a special trip to cheer; in 1991, he was the "gong beater" for the Retarder Motor Factory team, and watching from the riverbank still filled him with excitement. Fifty-six-year-old Wu Chuanbin, once a photography enthusiast, now rows for the Yeren Dragon Boat Team, personally continuing the legacy of Tuo River racing. Ancient blessing rituals, such as "Inviting the Dragon Head," "Purifying the Dragon Body," "Dotting the Dragon's Eyes," and "Sending the Dragon Back to the Boat," were performed simultaneously, expressing prayers for favorable weather and national prosperity.
The Dragon Boat Folk Custom Market at the Square of the Original Homeland of the Shu People buzzed with activity. Traditional activities like weaving five-colored bracelets, applying realgar to foreheads, and shooting the "five poisons" allowed visitors to experience the festival's essence through immersive interaction. On stage, a Dragon Boat Poetry and Music Festival blended ancient and modern through poetry recitals, classical dance, and guzheng music set against landscape scrolls. The "Enjoying Tianfu" public welfare tour by Quyi masters featured performances of Sichuan Qingyin, Money Clappers, Xiangsheng (crosstalk), Xieju (comic theater), and Sichuan Yangqin, captivating audiences with melodious tunes and humorous acts.
Culinary Delights: A Reunion of Taste and Local Flavor
The 2026 Ziyang Food Culture and Yanjiang Crayfish Festival grandly opened. As a city culinary brand refined over a decade, this year's event gathered popular local Yanjiang crayfish vendors alongside specialty foods from Anyue and Lezhi, offering a one-stop taste of authentic Ziyang cuisine. The night market glittered with lights and teemed with patrons. "We come every year for the food festival; it's lively and has great atmosphere!" said resident Li Yuxin, who makes it an annual tradition to enjoy the feast with her family.
Tourism and Sights: A Dance of Light and Heritage
As night descended, the riverbank witnessed a sequential display of intangible cultural heritage molten iron fireworks, water-based fire pot stunts, and a cross-river fireworks waterfall, creating a spectacle of sparks cascading over the water. Hundreds of drones used the night sky as a canvas and light as their brush, dynamically forming messages like "Ziyang is a Great Place" and "Happy Dragon Boat Festival," along with city landmarks and cultural symbols, infusing the traditional festival with modern technology. The "Chang Hong Turns to Jade" light-screen ceremony deeply integrated local cultural heritage with contemporary lighting technology, crafting a poetic and stunning riverside nightscape. A Dragon Boat-themed parade, featuring ten distinctive contingents representing the Three Sages culture, Mengxi River culture, and grotto culture, wove Ziyang's local heritage with ancient festival charm into a vibrant, moving spectacle.
Shopping Experience: A Feast of Local Treasures
Ziyang seized the festival opportunity to establish a specialized exhibition and sales platform, deeply integrating cultural tourism experiences with consumption scenarios. The specialty market was immensely popular, brimming with seasonal goods like rich, oily salted duck eggs and diverse-flavored zongzi (rice dumplings), alongside Dragon Boat-themed creative products and local agricultural specialties. Notably, the market featured a support stall for Wangcang, Guangyuan, using consumption to foster collaboration and contribute to rural revitalization efforts.
Transforming Festival Momentum into Development Gains
A single festival day, June 19th, saw the Ziyang Line of the rail transit system record 72,500 passenger trips, its second-highest daily ridership ever, representing a year-on-year increase of over 61%. The activities attracted 535,000 participants and spurred an additional 61 million yuan in consumer spending within the city center. This successfully converted festive "foot traffic" into developmental "economic growth," making the city's "Ziyang is a Great Place" brand more substantial and radiant.