Participants compete in the canoe marathon. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Grand Canal's UNESCO World Heritage status, the Hangzhou stop of the 2024 Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Canoe Marathon Series and the Yangtze River Delta Water Sports Festival will take place from June 22-23.

The 2024 Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Canoe Marathon Series is the longest canoeing event in the world and features the most boats in China. It is the first full-length relay canoe race on the Grand Canal from north to south.

The series adopts a multi-stop format, selecting key cities along the canal. Following successful events in Jining and Beijing, the series is set to move onto Hangzhou. It includes a 10-kilometer long-distance race and a 500-meter sprint, with around 200 canoes registered for the 10-km event.

The Yangtze River Delta Water Sports Festival Carnival will also be held at Canal Square, featuring an array of activities such as a sports and games zone, traditional crafts market, intellectual challenges, and a sports social party.

A bird's-eye view of the Gongchen Bridge in Gongshu district, Hangzhou. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]