The second Dongping Lake Dragon Boat Invitation Competition celebrated the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival on June 6.
 
The second Dongping Lake Dragon Boat Invitation Competition was held in Dongping county, Shandong province, in the city of Tai`an, on June 6. A total of 45 dragon boat teams from more than ten cities in the province took part in the competition.

The history of the dragon boat competition in Dongping Lake dates back to 400 years ago, when the game was mainly played by fishermen. Now the game has gained popularity among the masses, becoming one of the most important local sports and cultural events.

Covering a water surface of 209 square kilometers, Dongping Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in Shandong province, held the national dragon boat invitation competition in 2009 and other major provincial and national dragon boat events.

The annual dragon boat race was co-hosted by the Shandong Municipal Bureau of Sports, the Shandong Sports General Association, the Tai`an Municipal People`s Government and the Dongping local government. The dragon boat team of Tai`an won third place among all twelve teams of the area and city group.

By Chen Zhilin (chinadaily.com.cn)