Dragon boat crews get new guidance in Foshan

A 25-meter-long dragon boat drifts close to the riverbank in a channel that's only 5 meters wide at its narrowest point. The boat maneuvers through the bends in an almost extreme posture.

It is an exciting scene to watch in person during the Duanwu Festival in Diejiao, in the Nanhai district of Foshan, Guangdong province. The traditional folk event has become popular on major online social media platforms as well.

The race course in Diejiao is renowned for its unique bends, which are shaped like the letters S, L, C and J. The C-bend is often referred to as the extreme anaerobic balance bend.

"The course is only 5 meters wide at its narrowest point and offers no room for error, making it highly sensitive to wind, rain and poor visibility," said Kong Dezhi, a drummer on the Dongsheng dragon boat racing team.

To address the weather risks during the high-incidence period of rain during the Duanwu Festival, which falls on Friday, local meteorological authorities have installed three portable observation stations along the course.

"These stations capture real-time data on wind speed, precipitation, visibility and other critical factors at each bend," said Liang Junyi, director of meteorological bureau of Nanhai district.

Based on the data, authorities have developed a meteorological service platform, which offers a real-time risk index for the boat races. A spectator comfort index is also available.

"The data help provide scientific decision-making support for the dragon boat training and racing," Liang said.

Meteorological services not only support the racing events but have become deeply integrated in the entire process of water environment management in Diejiao.

In the past, the Diejia River was severely polluted from industrial development and the mixing of rainwater and sewage.

"Through the collaboration between local meteorological and water management authorities, the data have become a crucial tool for water management," Liang said.

A three-stage governance model has been established that includes rain warnings, preparations, dynamic scheduling during periods of rain and post-rain recovery optimization.

"Before the rain, we forecast peak rainfall to guide preemptive drainage at pumping stations, and we use real-time rainfall data for tiered scheduling to minimize sewage overflow during rain," Liang said.