During the ongoing Dragon Boat Festival holiday, many Chinese people have embarked on journeys to explore the charm of Shanghai's old towns.

In 2009, the holiday became the first Chinese holiday to make UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

The Dragon Boat Festival, which usually falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, sees a three-day break this year, starting on Saturday. During the holiday, various folk activities are held, including dragon boat races, eating sticky rice dumplings, or zongzi, and hanging bunches of mugwort for blessings.

Zhujiajiao, an ancient water town located in the Qingpu District of Shanghai, launched a unique night tour with activities such as night tours on gorgeous flower boats and garden tours featuring the culture of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD), attracting many tourists to come for sightseeing.

Different performances are displayed on bridges over the river that runs through the town, including a Kunqu opera show, children wearing traditional Chinese costumes reading Chinese classics, and colorful lights flying in the sky.

"I came from Xuzhou City of Jiangsu Province. We have heard people talk about this ancient town before, saying it is a bustling place during the Dragon Boat Festival. I am really happy to be here today," said a visitor surnamed Zhang.

In Luodian, Shanghai's 700-year-old town in the northern Baoshan District, the custom dragon boat race has a history of more than 400 years. It is included in the representative list of national intangible cultural heritage.

The annual 17th Luodian Dragon Boat Cultural Festival opened on Friday.

During the four-day event, local residents and tourists will have a chance to experience the charm of traditional culture by watching dragon boat cultural performances and visiting an intangible cultural heritage fair.

Unlike in other places, the dragon boat race in Luodian focuses more on entertainment than racing.

The well-trained and brightly dressed helmsmen perform with one side of the body close to the water, showcasing their consummate skills to spectators.