Salford celebrates Chinese community with dragon boat races
Teams from Manchester City and Manchester United are taking to the water
Greater Manchester's Chinese community is being celebrated as the Dragon Boat race festival returns to Salford Quays.
Thousands of spectators are expected to attend the event, which is based at the Lowry Theatre - with amateur and professional teams taking part.
The Boat Race Festival form part of a number of events by the Xinhua Chinese Association across the weekend, to mark the tradition which dates back 2,000 years.
The festival is usually held on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar, which is observed by many Chinese people. This usually falls between the months of May and June.
To help celebrate the festival, amateur teams from Manchester City and Manchester United football clubs - as well as the Salford Red Devils.
As well as the boat races, a number of other performances are taking place to celebrate Chinese culture, including lion dancing and kung fu demonstrations.
Currently, 2% of Greater Manchester's population identifies as being of Chinese origin, with officials saying that it is important to highlight the contributions of the Chinese community to the city's growth.
The dragon boat brace for 2024 conveniently falls on the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, which is meant to symbolise good luck and fortune.