Uganda celebrates Chinese Dragon Boat Festival on Lake Victoria

This photo taken on June 1, 2025, shows a scene of a dragon boat race held on Lake Victoria in Kawuku, central district of Wakiso, Uganda. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

Neither the changing weather nor the distance from its place of origin could dim the enthusiasm at this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated Sunday in Kawuku, in Uganda’s central district of Wakiso.

As June begins and Uganda’s long rainy season gradually draws to a close, the skies above Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake, shift between bright sunshine and light drizzle. But neither the changing weather nor the distance from its place of origin could dim the enthusiasm at this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated Sunday in Kawuku, in Uganda’s central district of Wakiso.

The thundering beat of drums echoed across the water, urging paddlers forward. A mix of Ugandan and Chinese rowers worked shoulder to shoulder, powering decorated dragon boats toward the finish line.

Ugandans perform traditional dances during a dragon boat race event in Kawuku, central district of Wakiso, Uganda, June 1, 2025. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

Spectators from different continents, Chinese, Ugandan, European and other African backgrounds, cheered from the shore. Children ran along the lakeside, dancing to the beat of African drums, while families sampled Chinese cuisine, sipped traditional teas, and posed for selfies in front of dragon heads and flags.

This annual event, held to mark China’s traditional Dragon Boat Festival, has become a platform for cultural exchange in Uganda. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, traditionally falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, it was observed on May 31.

Gloria Asiimwe, attending the event for the first time, said she could not miss it because of her love for Chinese culture.

“I had to come because I love the way the Chinese carry themselves. I love their culture, their togetherness, the way they behave, everything about them,” said Asiimwe, who is also a student of the Chinese language.

“The boat race promotes both Chinese and Ugandan cultures. The Ugandans came with their families in large numbers to support the event, and this really showed how much they love their culture,” she added.

This photo taken on June 1, 2025, shows a scene of a dragon boat race held on Lake Victoria in Kawuku, central district of Wakiso, Uganda. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

One of the teams this year was Hebei Tiantang, whose captain, Emmanuel Mbaziira, shared his joy after winning the race. 

“This is the fifth year we have participated in the boat race, and we are happy that we have finally won,” Mbaziira said. “We have learned many things from the Chinese, and they have learned from us.” 

Another notable participant was the Taizhou Chamber of Commerce team, which has competed since the race’s inception in Uganda. Despite placing third this year, the team was honored with the “Spirit of Dragon Boat” award. Team captain Ruan Wenbing, a Chinese entrepreneur who has lived in Uganda for nearly 20 years, reflected on the event’s deeper meaning.

“The dragon boat is a symbol of Chinese civilization,” he said. “To bring this tradition to Uganda, and to see Chinese and Ugandan paddlers united in a single boat, is profoundly meaningful,” said Ruan, whose community bought the dragon boats from China for the race’s first edition in Uganda back in 2017.

Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong addresses a dragon boat race event in Kawuku, central district of Wakiso, Uganda, June 1, 2025. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong, Ugandan tourism official James Mboijana, and other guests jointly performed the traditional “dotting of the dragon eyes” ceremony.

“Just like paddlers in the same boat racing toward a common goal, China and Uganda are working hand in hand toward modernization,” the ambassador said while addressing the event.

Ugandan tourism official James Mboijana addresses a dragon boat race event in Kawuku, central district of Wakiso, Uganda, June 1, 2025. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

For Mboijana, the festival signifies more than just a race. “Today’s event marks a very joyful and harmonious engagement and cements the relationship between Uganda and the Chinese community. We celebrate culture, we celebrate harmony, we celebrate development together, and we celebrate life,” Mboijana said.

Xinhua