For those fortunate enough to be in Hangzhou, between May 28 and July 5 this year, there is an unmissable opportunity to observe this 2,000-year-old tradition at first hand as part of the Duanwu Festival, held annually in this eastern China city.

The festival, a must-see cultural event in Hangzhou, one of the most beautiful cities in the Zhejiang province, commemorates the death of the celebrated poet, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in 278 BC as a protest against political corruption.

This year's Duanwu Festival opened on May 28 with a spectacular dragon boat racing cavalcade, as well as international competition racing in the Xixi Wetland Park. The more formal competition will begin on June 13.

All of the traditional aspect of the festival will be highlighted during the course of the event, including dragon dancing, fashion shows, and Chinese boxing.

Visitors will also have the chance to sample Zongzi, a sticky rice wrapped in bamboo reeds dish traditionally eaten during the course of the festival. The more culinary minded will also have the opportunity to observe its preparation.

Early arrivals at the event have already been impressed by the numbers of boats taking part - with more than 170 lining up to compete in the first race. A 25-strong "ladies only" team drew particular attention, with its oldest crewmember clocking in at 57 and its youngest a mere 29.

Despite its apparent gender and age handicaps, the team impressed many by giving rival boats a real run for their money. Its accomplishments are all the more impressive when you know that the boat was not crewed by hardy rural workers, but largely by a team of office workers - many of whom found time to entertain the agog youngsters with a few musical numbers as they hurtled past.

The success of the event has already allayed the worries of many that younger generation may not share an enthusiasm for traditional Chinese culture. On the contrary, as one of the delighted organizers said: "This one-month-plus event has made great inroads in terms of transmitting Chinese cultures and tradition."

Dragon boat racing has thrived in the area's Jiangcun Village since the days of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). It has traditionally taken place at a site known as Shentankou (deep swag hole), part of the local wetland park and has long been popular with both children and grandparents.

According to Nanzhangzi, an illustrated book dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), no vessel could safely navigate the treacherous waterways of the Shentankou, save the dragon boats favored by the area's indigenous population.

Thanks to Hangzhou's enthusiastic adherence to its traditions and the many widely circulated historical documents testifying to its classical origins, the fame of the event has now spread far and wide.

This year, teams from as far afield as South Korea, Japan and the US have all signed up to participate in the traditional races, enticed by the opportunity to individually experience this living celebration of ancient Chinese culture.

All of the vessels taking part in this year's event have been painted and adorned in strict accordance with the guidelines of classic Chinese style.

Ingeniously, one boat has even installed a system for jetting water from the mouth of its front-mounted dragon figurehead. In total, Jiangcun has prepared 154 dragon boats, 38 more than competed last year.

Xixi Wetland

Xixi Wetland, less than 5 km from the West Lake in Hangzhou, is the nation's first national-level wetland preservation zone. It features a range of urban wetland, farming wetland and cultural wetland landscapes. Its plant life now contains more then 1,000 varieties, while it is also home to 129 different species of birds, some 68 percent of all the local varieties.

Its modern day use would have found much favor with its visitors of yesteryear, with many classical poets dubbing it as a sacred spot. It was also the scene of many imperial visits, with the Emperor Qianlong (reigning from 1736-1796) a particular enthusiast for its boat racing events, seeing it as emblematic of the country's peaceful way of life and economic strength.

Today, the local government still sees the event as a great showcase for the region and its way of life, as well as a key means to attract foreign visitors to live and work in the area.

This year's event is sponsored by the Hangzhou Tourism Committee, the Hangzhou West Lake district government, the Hangzhou Sports Bureau and the Hangzhou Foreign Affairs Liaison Office.

The competition is organized by the Administrative Committee of the Hangzhou Xixi Wetland Park, the Hangzhou Xixi Wetland Management Co and the Jiangcun Village Administrative Office. The finals will take place on July 5.

Last year's winner was the Shanghai Siemens Industrial Automation Co who donated its 37,000 yuan winnings to the Sichuan earthquake relief fund.