Ahead of the main race, a dragon boat eye-dotting ceremony was held by using black ink to dot the eyes of four wooden dragon's heads to metaphorically bring life to the fifth big red dragon whose eyes turned red after the dotting is completed, which is a tradition ahead of the 2,000-year-old Chinese sport.

The Nile River International Dragon Boat Festival was organized by the Egyptian Friendship Association in Hong Kong and the Chinese Cultural Center in Cairo, with Dragon Boat Egypt and the Beijing-based International Dragon Boat Federation as co-organizers.

Shi Yuewen, cultural counselor of the Chinese embassy in Cairo, who took part in the dragon eye-dotting ceremony, said that the festival witnessed more teams from different countries compared with last year, in addition to renowned guests and senior diplomats.

"Besides the dragon boat competition, we've also organized activities related to the Chinese Spring Festival such as traditional Chinese games and riddles, and we've arranged a photo exhibition to show China's modern life and its great development in recent years," the Chinese diplomat told Xinhua.