"Don't say you've seen a dragon boat scene if you've never been to Chebei."

The Dragon Boat Festival’s "dragon boat scenes" are a traditional folk activity and an important ceremony for Cantonese to visit relatives and friends. With a history of more than 300 years, Chebei Dragon Boat Scenery is known as the largest dragon boat scene in Guangzhou. It has become the eighth batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage representative projects in Guangdong Province.

To enhance the experience of international patients and their families and let them immerse in the vibrant atmosphere of the Dragon Boat Festival and Guangfu dragon boat culture, on June 8, 2024 (the 3rd day of the 5th lunar month), which is the Chebei Dragon Boat Festival Celebration Day, the St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou organized a cultural tour. Patients and families from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Mongolia, and other countries visited Chebei Chong to witness the traditional Guangfu dragon boat activities of visiting friends and relatives. They experienced the centuries-old Guangfu dragonboat culture firsthand.

According to reports, during the Dragon Boat Festival in Guangfu, various traditional customs such as welcoming the Dragon Boat Deity, dragon boat racing, enjoying dragon boat meals, and singing dragon boat songs are held, making the event lively and diverse. International patients from the St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou participated in the Chebei Dragon Boat Deity Welcoming Ceremony that day.

At 9 o'clock, the observation group arrived punctually at Chebei Chong. By then, the dragon boats were already surging on the river, drums thundering. Despite intermittent rain, international patients and their families remained enthusiastic and eager, stopping by the riverside to capture the splendid dragon boat competition scenes with their phones.

More than 200 dragon boats from Tianhe, Huangpu, Panyu, Haizhu, and other places have entered Chebei Chong one after another. Although it’s the Dragon Boat Festival "visiting relatives" activity, hundreds of dragon boats compete on the river. Each village's dragon boats will showcase their "magic weapons": brilliantly colored Cantonese embroidered silk umbrellas, colorful flags with unique clan characteristics, meticulously adorned dragon heads and tails, and even firecrackers to enhance the festivities. The procession of different dragon boats made for an overwhelming sight.

Malaysian patient Li*Shan excitedly exclaimed, "It's truly spectacular and beautiful. This is my first time seeing so many dragon boats and meeting such enthusiastic villagers. I'm deeply moved by the festive atmosphere. Just now, some villagers warmly treated me to dragon boat cake, saying they were hosting their brothers and relatives from other villages who came to row dragon boats. It feels very homely, and I admire such rich folk customs. It's amazing how China has preserved such a long-standing culture. I came to St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou in January this year for treatment of an eye tumor. Coming here during the Dragon Boat Festival is a coincidence, and the hospital has organized a series of activities for us. Yesterday, I participated in a zongzi wrapping competition, and today, I'm out here watching the dragon boats. I'm so happy that my treatment life isn't boring anymore. I am very grateful to the hospital."

Ms. Zhou Xiaoping, Director of Customer Service Department, who led the team, said: "Our hospital has always attached great importance to the physical and mental health of patients. Since its establishment in 2005, the hospital has carried out medical tourism activities to enrich patients' lives in the hospital and regulate their emotions. At the same time, in addition to the Cantonese cultural experience of medical tourism, it also provides 60 value-added services including this, which have won the favor and recognition of international patients. In the future, our hospital will continue to enrich the content of value-added services, continuously improve service quality, and promote Chinese traditional culture while enriching patients’ cultural life, so that more and more international patients can understand the profoundness of Chinese culture."

As an international hospital, St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou upholds the principle of "patient-centered care” to serve every patient, providing them with advanced medical technologies and quality services! Our hospital hopes that through holding Dragon Boat Festival cultural activities, medical tourism and other value-added services, patients can not only get better treatment but also feel physical and mental pleasure when they come to our hospital for treatment. Our hospital will do the best to help every patient recover their physical and mental health.

*Surgery, in addition to the appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are effective in treating early cancer, but certain patients in late stage of cancer may not be tolerate surgery well as they can be relatively weak. A combination of carefully planned minimally invasive therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can effectively reduce the side effects and discomfort of treatment and may help patient get better efficacy.