Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing will celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, with over 1,700 events across the city.
The planned activities including dragon boat racing, traditional cultural heritage events, and garden flower viewing. This year, the festival falls on Saturday, May 31.
Districts across Beijing will offer interactive activities, such as a dragon boat tug-of-war at Gubei Water Town, Hanfu clothing experiences at Baihuashan Scenic Area, and dragon boat races at Yanqi Lake.
More than 720 cultural activities will be held by cultural institutions at different levels of the city, including lectures, poetry readings, and exhibitions.
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism has created seven themed tour routes focusing on nature, geology, and cultural sites. Ten exhibition-themed travel routes are also available, featuring popular exhibitions like “This is the Shang” and an animated film showcase at Shougang Park.
City parks will host activities such as crafting scented sachets, braiding colorful ropes, and archery. Beihai Park will hold a traditional sports festival, and Yuanmingyuan Park will offer workshops on ancient Chinese crafts. Visitors to China National Botanical Garden, Taoranting Park, and Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers will have the opportunity to view Chinese roses and learn about their history in Chinese gardening.
Family-friendly events will include a LEGO Children’s Festival at Chaoyang Park, where children can build large LEGO structures, and a nighttime forest exploration for teenagers at Fragrant Hills Park.
In addition, around 30 sports events are scheduled, including the 2025 Beijing Grand Canal Dragon Boat Carnival from May 31 to June 2. The carnival will feature 32 teams and over 500 athletes competing in dragon boat races, in addition to other events including paddle boarding, kayaking, tug-of-war, arm wrestling, and kite flying. Organizers expect around 100,000 visitors.