THE moment the starting signal rang out at Salford Quays in Greater Manchester on Saturday, three dragon boats swiftly surged forward, with paddlers unleashing powerful strokes in sync with the pulsating beats set by drummers at the front of the boats. As the boats drew closer to the finish line, the cheers, drumbeats and paddle splashes grew louder, echoing through the refreshing summer air. Up to 40 amateur teams of students, companies, and local social entities like Manchester Museum competed in the race, which was part of this year’s U.K. Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, an event that has gained popularity in the country and across Europe. As the ninth edition, this year’s event last two days with an amateur race on the first day and a contest of professional teams Sunday. “It’s lovely to have all these different generations, different people, different communities and organizations coming together. It was fantastic that they were doing it while also learning about other cultures,” said Esme Ward, director of Manchester Museum. “Having a dragon boat race in Britain means a lot since it merges the British people’s enthusiasm for boat rowing and Chinese Dragon Boat Festival traditions,” said Wang Mingchu, assistant professor in International Business at the University of Greenwich. The drum beating has left a deep impression on many spectators, such as the family of 5-year-old Logan from Manchester. They found out about the event online and decided to pop on to see what the race was like. “It definitely seemed a lot more coordinated, a lot more intense with the drumbeats,” said Tracey, Logan’s mother. “I was extremely impressed with how synchronized we were. ... I thought we were pretty smooth about how we went about,” said Cameron Maxwell, a novice paddler with the Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer team. In addition to the race, the event also featured a food market and performances, including dragon dance, lion dance and chorus shows. (Xinhua) | 