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 Saturday, 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.

Opening ceremony of the Binhai New Area Dragon Boat Competition in Tianjin. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Ninghe event also launched the "I Want to Be on the Village Gala" rural cultural talent show at the 460-year-old Lutai Fair, a major cultural and tourism landmark in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Officials in Ninghe said the district is advancing an integrated development model combining agriculture, culture, sports, study tours, tourism and commerce.

A dragon boat race takes place in Ninghe district. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Key projects include the Qilihai Half Marathon, which attracted 8,000 runners, and the Qilihai Rural Tourism Area, recently named a national "treasure town". Future plans include promoting local agricultural products and developing food and cultural tourism IPs.