Dragon boat teams compete in the race in Binhai New Area. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 55,000 people watched two dragon boat races in Tianjin on June 13, as the city aimed to promote mass sports, cultural tourism and community engagement across its coastal and riverside districts ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival.

In the coastal Binhai New Area, 29 teams with 640 athletes competed, while in the riverside Ninghe district, 17 teams — including squads from Peking and Tsinghua universities featuring international students — raced on the Jiyun River.