The dragon boat race is the most important folk activity during the Dragon Boat Festival, later developed into a water sports event. In the Asian Games Guangzhou 2010, the dragon boat race became the official event of the Asian Games for the first time, and Chinese Women's Dragon Boat Team won three champions. In the Asian Games Jakarta 2018, Chinese Men's Dragon Boat Team and Women's Dragon Boat Team seized the gold medals in the finals of the 200m straight race.

The equipment for the dragon boat race has also changed with the times. The wooden dragon boats have been replaced with the glass steel dragon boats, and the carbon fiber paddles have been used instead of the wooden paddles. The body of the boat is provided with the automatic drainer to improve the speed and safety.

During Hangzhou Asian Games, the dragon boat race has six events including men's and women's 200m, 500m and 1,000m events for 12-people dragon boats. The dragon boat race is held in the still water area. Each team is required to have one drummer responsible for coordination and commanding, one steersman responsible for controlling the direction, ten rowers, and two substitutes. The participating teams set sail in their respective waterways at the same time, and the ranking is determined by the sequential order of the boat's head reaching the destination.

In order to greet the Asian Games, Zhejiang Dragon Boat Training Team selected about 300 excellent players from kayaking, canoeing and rowing events to carry out the training. Dong Hui, the coach of Zhejiang Dragon Boat Training Team, said: "The players are quickly adapted to the pace of the dragon boat race. After several months of training, they can work better together, but the efforts are still needed."