The visit is an exciting next step in a growing relationship between Auckland and Guangzhou, one of Auckland’s sister cities, and a chance to continue building the connection that began when Liede raced with us here in Auckland.

While in Guangzhou, Holly and Chris will attend the Liede Drgon Boat Festival and the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Race, meet with local dragon boat and community representatives, and learn more about dragon boating in one of the sport's most historic regions.

The key focus of the visit will be exploring what a future two-way exchange could look like, including opportunities for Auckland teams to travel to Guangzhou, and for more Guangzhou-based teams to visit Auckland in the future.

The connection has been made possible through Wayne Huang, Founder and CEO of ShareBoating Ltd, who introduced ADBA to Liede Dragon Boat Team and has played a key role in supporting the relationship between the two dragon boating communities.

“Our focus now is on building that relationship in a way that creates real opportunities for paddlers and clubs in both cities. We’re really looking forward to visiting Guangzhou, experiencing the festival, and continuing this connection in person.” 

For Auckland’s dragon boat community, this visit is a chance to strengthen international relationships, learn from one of the sport’s cultural homes, and explore future opportunities for teams to race, travel and connect through dragon boating.

It is also a proud moment for ADBA. What began with welcoming an international crew to Auckland has grown into a relationship with the potential to create something special for our wider paddling community.