The 2024 Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races concluded on Sunday, capped by a thrilling final race that determined the champion.
Over the course of two days, Victoria Harbor witnessed a spectacular display of athleticism as more than 4,000 athletes from over 170 teams representing 12 countries and regions fiercely competed in the ancient sport of dragon boating.
Preliminary estimates indicate that over 130,000 local residents and tourists gathered to cheer on the competitors, creating a vibrant atmosphere along the harbor.
This year's competition featured a special highlight — "Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China Cup." The competition was contested on the second day, exclusively featuring teams that achieved notable results on the first day.
The championship was claimed by the Shunde Dragon Boat Team. The second and third places were secured by teams from Thailand and Taiwan island respectively.
"Our team has participated in international competitions before, but this one is particularly special. It marks our motherland's 75th birthday. Representing our country fills me with immense pride," said Luo Xuan, a member of the Shunde Dragon Boat Team.
"Many international dragon boat athletes have come to Victoria Harbour to compete. It's such a beautiful setting, and as a resident of Hong Kong, I'm thrilled and delighted. I hope to spread Chinese traditional culture, especially the culture of dragon boating, to the world," said a local resident.
Hong Kong dragon boat races draw crowds, showcase cultural tradition
The 2024 World Robot Contest Finals, just concluded on Tuesday in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, has captivated visitors with exciting robot battles and groundbreaking technologies.
The event consists of two major competitions: Brain-Computer Interface or BCI Brain-controlled Robot Competition and Youth Robot Design Competition.
Running from Jan 16 to 21, the event covers more than 20 major events, 50 minor events and 100 competition groups, providing a broad competitive stage for robot enthusiasts around the world.
During the six-day event, incredible displays realized by BCI technology, like typing and communicating with mind, have also taken the spotlight at the fair.
BCI refers to a system allowing a person to control a computer or other electronic device using his or her brainwaves, without requiring any movement or verbal instruction.
At the competition site, young contestants, wearing portable devices on their heads, silently controlled line-following robots to complete challenge tasks by leveraging their brainwave signals.
Wu Qin, a referee of the competition, explained that the performance of contestants is determined by their level of concentration during the event, with the data being collected from within the human brain.
"The BCI device works kind of like a fitness tracker that monitors our heart rate and blood oxygen levels," Wu added.
Meanwhile, a display and experience area, showcasing various application scenarios of BCI, have attracted crowds of visitors.
"I just experienced the mood breathing light and visual typing. Both are quite advanced. I haven't come across similar things before. This competition let us learn about these novel devices, and it's great," said a visitor.
Robot competition wows public with advancing brain-computer interface technology