The ebullient atmosphere of the 2005 Macau International Dragon Races flamed on Saturday at the Sai Van Lake, with drums roaring and paddles dashing.

Some 100 teams from China's mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and foreign nations covering Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand attended the event, which is jointly organized by Macao's Sport Develop Board and Macao's China Dragon Boat Association.

The dragon boat race, for over 2,000 years, has been an significant Chinese cultural heritage as the celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival and Macao has a long history of hosting the sports event.

(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2005)