On June 20, Consul General Zhang Jianmin and his wife Zheng Xin attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 San Francisco “Friendship Through Dragon Boats” Festival, jointly organized by the California Dragon Boat Association and several other organizations. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and other distinguished guests also participated in the event.

In his remarks, Consul General Zhang noted that the Dragon Boat Festival was the first traditional Chinese festival inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. He emphasized that dragon boat racing embodies the spirit of teamwork, perseverance, and striving for excellence, and expressed the hope that the festival would further enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

The two-day event attracted 40 dragon boat teams and nearly 1,000 team members from across the Bay Area. In addition to the exciting races, the festival featured Dragon Boat Festival cultural exhibits, artistic performances, culinary experiences, and community engagement activities. The event also showcased the region’s first Phoenix Boat, drawing large crowds of visitors from the community and beyond.