An ancient bronze drum from over 2,000 years ago which was unearthed in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region recorded the earliest dragon boat activities in the region. 

The bronze drum, decorated with flying heron patterns, was unearthed in a Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD) tomb in Guangxi's Guigang City and kept in the Guangxi Guigang Museum. Its decorative patterns clearly show a crewed dragon boat. 

Information interpreted from the patterns suggest that dragon boat races were already an ritual festivity over 2,000 years ago, said Yang Jiaming, deputy curator of the Guigang museum where a replica of the drum is collected. 

"In front of us is the bronze drum with flying heron patterns unearthed in the Luobowan Han Tomb No. 1. This drum is from early Western Han Dynasty. You can see the person positioned at the front takes charge of direction and gives commands. The several people behind him all carry paddles, engaging in a rolling motion. What is special about this dragon boat is that it has at its stern a standing heron, which symbolized order, as well as aspiration for fishery harvest. That means dragon boat races were already practiced in southern regions as a ritual festivity over 2,000 years ago," Yang said. 

About 30 kilometers from the Han tomb where the drum was discovered, dragon boat races are still being held in the Xiangjiang village in Guigang's suburbs. 

For generations, residents of the village have held grand boat races on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. Every year, village natives who have gone to work in big cities would return ahead of the festival to train for the big race. 

"I took a special leave and returned for this from Shanghai. My dad took us dragon boating since we were little, and I have been fond of dragon boat culture since a very young age," said Luo Lanyi, a member of a local dragon boat team. 

"I've rowed dragon boats for 32 years. Our old captain is 84 this year. He told me that it was like this even when he was little, every year we hold the dragon boat race, and it has been passed down from one generation to the next," said Lai Dequan, captain of another local team. 

Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on June 10 this year.