“Water Formula 1” dragon boat drift race in Foshan draws massive crowd

The L-bend section of the 2026 Diejiao Dragon Boat Drift Race, often called “Formula 1 on water”, took place Saturday in Foshan, Guangdong Province, drawing tens of thousands of spectators and setting a new record.

Diejiao in Foshan hosts the annual dragon boat race during the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu), which fell on Friday this year, along its narrow and winding river.

Among the four race zones of the drift race, the L-bend in Shengtang Village stands out as the most challenging, with its 650-meter course lined by sharp right-angle bends and hidden reefs.

A dragon boat team from New Zealand gave a demonstration performance before 19 local teams took to the water for intense competition.

Unlike regular straight-line dragon boat races, the drift race demands well-paced speed and precise steering.

“I’m from Nanchang City of Jiangxi Province, where we race dragon boats on the Ganjiang River. It wasn’t until I came to Foshan that I realized dragon boat races can be held in narrow waterways, which really puts the paddlers’ skills to the test,” said Chen, a tourist. After nearly two hours of fierce competition, Jiaobian Village’s dragon boat team clinched victory with a time of 2 minutes 47.62 seconds, breaking the race zone’s 15-year record.

Iran’s state television IRIB reported on Sunday that the U.S.-Iran talks, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, were suspended after about 80 minutes of discussions, as the two sides paused for a break and internal consultations.

According to media reports, no negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program took place during the first round of talks, which focused on the implementation of clause 13 of the recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries and prioritized issues related to Lebanon.

Qatari sources said the first round of talks focused on Lebanon, with discussions on the Strait of Hormuz to follow. A third session will address Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, said the Iranian delegation left the venue of the talks in protest over comments by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Earlier in the day, Trump threatened on his Truth Social platform to “hit Iran very hard again” if Iran did not stop Hezbollah from “causing trouble.”