The 2019 Cross-Straits Dragon Boat Race kicks off in Xiamen's Jimei district on May 25. [Photo by Lin Ting/chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2019 Cross-Straits Dragon Boat Race kicked off in Xiamen's Jimei district on May 25.

The event, serving as an appetizer for the Strait Forum slated to be held on June 15, gathered a total of 53 teams from the mainland and Taiwan.

Among them, 27 teams were from Taiwan, with the number at an all-time high.

In addition to the race, a dazzling array of activities including lion dancing and a folk custom bazaar are also set to be held on its sidelines.

The event, jointly hosted by the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Dragon Boat Association, the Xiamen Committee of the CPPCC and the Fujian Provincial Sports Bureau, aims to promote cross-Straits cultural and people-to-people exchanges.