The "Qilong" ceremony — a dragon boat raising ritual carrying thousands of years of cultural memory — was held in front of the Beidi Temple in Zhangxi village, Shiqi subdistrict in Zhongshan.

As one of the key birthplaces of Lingnan dragon boat culture, Zhangxi offered a cultural feast where tradition and modernity intertwine, through its distinctive rituals and profound history.

Villagers splash water on each other at the Qilong ceremony, reveling in the joy of the moment, May 17.

An elder adjusts a brand-new dragon head newly fitted to the bow of a dragon boat, May 31.

Zhangxi villagers gather for intensive training after work, June 1.

A villager washes down the dragon boat with a high-pressure water gun, May 17.

Villagers paddle the dragon boat back to the dock for inspection and maintenance, May 17.

A boat craftsman sand down the hull, May 24.

A painting technician applies a coat of glossy varnish to the dragon boat hull, May 24. (Photo/Yu Zhanyu)