The year 2026 marks the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia. On May 31, a "Friendship" Lanxi double-oared dragon boat produced in Heshan District, Yiyang, was officially launched in Malacca, Malaysia. For the first time, this unique dragon boat made its way to overseas waters. 

This dragon boat was custom-built, with a total length of 26.8 meters. As the longest dragon boat in Malaysia, it will make its debut at the 41st Malaysian National Chinese Cultural Festival on June 14.

At the festival, 23 paddlers from Yiyang's Heshan District will join the dragon boat enthusiasts from Malaysia on the water, offering a dragon boat show featuring more than 100 paddlers, according to Leng Yihu. Leng is a representative inheritor of the Lanxi double-oared dragon boat as an intangible cultural heritage, and also chairperson of the Double-oared Dragon Boat Culture Research Society in Heshan District, Yiyang.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunantoday