Derbies are everywhere, dragon boats and football compete—Round 7 of the Guangdong Super League is full of excitement.

Written by Cheng Shan In Round 6 of the Guangdong Super League, surprises were frequent. Eastern Division leaders Shenzhen were forced into a draw at home by seventh-place Shanwei, ending their consecutive wins. Western Division title rivals Guangzhou fell to a last-minute defeat at home against Yunfu, while Zhanjiang extended their streak to five victories and pulled three points clear. The 10 games in Round 6 produced only 16 goals, which was slightly higher than Round 4's 15 but a 45% drop from Round 5's 29.

Round 7 coincides with the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, featuring four local derbies: the "Hakka Derby" between Heyuan and Huizhou in the East, the "Chaoshan Derby" between Shanwei and Chaozhou, the "Western Guangdong Derby" between Yangjiang and Maoming in the West, and the "Xijiang Derby" between Zhongshan and Jiangmen. Eastern leaders Shenzhen travel to Shaoguan aiming to stay unbeaten, while Dongguan vs. Meizhou and Qingyuan vs. Jieyang are key battles for second place in the East. In the West, Zhanjiang and Guangzhou both play away, with the biggest question being whether Guangzhou can stop their slide and catch up to Zhanjiang at the top.

Qingyuan lost 1-2 away to Meizhou last round, dropping to third as Meizhou overtook them. Only the top two from each division qualify directly for the playoffs, so Qingyuan must hold their ground. This round, they host Jieyang, who are just one point behind with a game in hand. Qingyuan not only needs a home win but also hopes Meizhou drops points against Dongguan to keep their hopes alive in the race for second place in the East.

Jieyang had a bye last round and added three new players, improving both their fitness and strength.

This round coincides with Qingyuan's provincial-level intangible cultural heritage event, the "Dragon Boat Tour" for the Dragon Boat Festival, which includes the "Dragon Boat Visiting" in Baijiao Community of Qingcheng District, the "Rowing Dragon Boats" on Dongbei River in Lianzhou, and the bonfire party of "Sitting and Singing" in Lianshan. Fans can immerse themselves in the lively traditions of Qingyuan's Dragon Boat Festival while enjoying the matches.

The match between Heyuan and Huizhou is the third "Hakka Derby" in the Guangdong Super League.

Heyuan defeated Chaozhou 2-0 away last round, giving the league's only female coach, Zhao Xindi, her second victory in the Guangdong Super League. Huizhou held strong side Dongguan to a 1-1 draw at home but have performed poorly on the road. Heyuan has a good chance to win the "Hakka Derby" at home, solidify their top-six position, and fight for a playoff spot.

Fans in Heyuan can experience Hakka Dragon Boat Festival culture at the team's home ground in Zijin County, such as eating zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and hanging calamus. On match day, the town of Linzhai in Heping County will host a Hakka dragon boat performance, Wanlu Lake will have a "Zongzi Workshop," and the Bavaria Manor will hold a "Dragon Boat Elegant Gathering" and other festive activities.

In the "Xijiang Derby" between Zhongshan and Jiangmen, both teams are eager for a win. Zhongshan, with one game fewer played, sits at the bottom of the Western Division without a win, hoping to break their duck at home. Jiangmen, if victorious, can secure a top-six spot in the West and boost their playoff hopes.

Last round marked the debut of Zhongshan's new coach, Wu Pingfeng. His team had more possession and created more chances, but a goal was disallowed for offside. Wu said the team showed improvement and expressed hope for a home win. Local media noted that Zhongshan is creating more opportunities, passing more smoothly, and the defensive system is more compact under Wu's restructuring. As the saying goes, "A new coach is like a new knife"—the blade is drawn, and it just needs sharpening.

Coinciding with the "Xijiang Derby," Zhongshan will host the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Zhongshan) Dragon Boat Invitational, where top university teams from Tsinghua, Peking, Fudan, Tongji, Sun Yat-sen, and others will paddle for the first time, recreating the spectacular scene of "a hundred boats racing" on the Qijiang River. Additionally, the cultural and tourism department will stage an immersive parade of national and provincial intangible cultural heritage items along Sunwen West Road, a dragon boat-themed water curtain show called "Light and Shadow Qijiang" at Xingzhong Square, a Bay Area trendy music festival, and a Dragon Boat Festival bazaar. With great matches, festive fun, and delicious food, fans can enjoy a one-stop Dragon Boat holiday experience.

Yangjiang has 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses for 5 points, sitting eighth in the West. However, with a game in hand, they are only 2 points behind sixth-place Maoming. They beat Zhaoqing 1-0 at home in Round 5 and naturally hope for a second home win to sneak into the playoff zone. Lin Zitao, who has scored 3 goals, is their key to getting points.

Maoming beat Zhongshan 2-0 last time, securing their first consecutive win of the season and moving into the Western top six. Maoming had a terrible start—leading but drawing their first match, then suffering three straight losses for just 1 point. But in Round 5, they won away at Foshan, then beat Zhongshan, climbing to sixth. Now facing western Guangdong brothers Yangjiang, they aim for a third straight win.

On match day, Yangjiang will hold the final of the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage event, the "Adverse Current Dragon Boat Race" in Jiangcheng. The home venue in Yangxi County will feature "Zhilang Paddling Dragon Boats" inter-visit races, creating a lively atmosphere. Additionally, Yangjiang offers the Gaoliu River Fair with intangible heritage parades and ancient market feasts, a food culture week on Xingang Road, and the Xilai Alley风情街, allowing fans to savor western Guangdong cuisine.

"Ma Dongmei" version 2.0 explodes back! Three months ago, in the first round of the Guangdong Basketball League, Dongguan beat Meizhou 110-55 at Meixian Sports Center, nearly dismantling the basket—winning so big they felt embarrassed. The Meizhou boys were stubborn then: "Lost in basketball—revenge on the football pitch!" Now, the chance has come.

Dongguan sits fourth in the East with 9 points, but they have only lost one game. Last round, they drew 1-1 with Huizhou, their third draw of the regular season. After 6 rounds, they have 3 draws, tied for the most in the league, which is why their points and ranking haven't improved further. However, Dongguan is unbeaten at home with 2 wins and 1 draw, including a 5-1 thrashing of Chaozhou. They will fight tooth and nail against Meizhou in this match.

On match day, Dongguan's Dragon Boat Festival activities include the Duanyang Dragon Boat Championship in Wangniudun Town, the "Dragon Soaring on Dongjiang, Celebrating Duanyang" traditional dragon boat series in Shilong Town, the "Tide Surge on Dongjiang, Wave chasing Dongkeng" 2026 Dongkeng Dragon Boat Race, the (Houjie) Quality Litchi Culture Consumption Carnival, the Summer Carnival Parade at Wanxiang Coastal Shopping Village, and the "Starry Moon Night" electronic music party. Fans can feast their eyes and taste buds.

In Round 6, Shanwei caused a huge upset away, ending Shenzhen's five-match winning streak. Chaozhou, meanwhile, lost 0-2 at home to Heyuan, suffering their fifth consecutive defeat. In the first six rounds, they had two matches where they conceded 5 goals. Currently, Chaozhou has the fewest points (1) and the most goals conceded (19) in the Guangdong Super League. In the previous "Chaoshan Derby," Chaozhou lost 0-2 away to Jieyang, and their trip to Shanwei looks ominous. Shanwei, with a game in hand, is just one point behind sixth-place Heyuan, so a home win would keep their playoff hopes alive.

On match day, Shanwei city will hold the "Dragon Boat Racing & Market Gathering—Flying Boats Competing for Dragon Boat Festival" event, including dragon boat races on Pinqing Lake, as well as intangible heritage performances such as Mazu worship, Yingge dance, Shanwei fishing songs, Zhengzi opera, and shadow puppetry. Performers in traditional Danjia (boat-dwelling) costumes will serve special Shanwei salty tea, creating an immersive cultural experience.

Shaoguan has 3 draws and 2 losses. With a game in hand due to a bye, they are ninth in the East. They have conceded only 4 goals in 5 matches, tied with Meizhou for the third fewest in the East. Their defense is decent, but they need to improve their attack—they have scored just one goal so far. Last round, they lost 0-1 away to Shantou, giving the latter their first win. Returning home, the team is extremely eager to secure their first victory and will spare no effort to contain Shenzhen, showing the subjective will to cause an upset.

Shenzhen was held 0-0 at home by Shanwei last round, ending their five-match winning streak. Although they still top the Eastern Division, Meizhou, on a four-game winning run, has narrowed the gap. In this away match, Shenzhen will go all out. They are balanced in attack and defense, especially in defense, having conceded only 2 goals, tied for the fewest in the league. Offensively, Chen Zhixuan and Wen Jiadong had multiple shots without scoring last round and are eager to make up for it. However, if Shaoguan decides to park the bus, Shenzhen must avoid getting impatient.

Before this round, Shaoguan issued a "love letter" titled "Deeply: First, Enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival in Shaoguan Before the Game!" to the Shenzhen team and fans. They invited Shenzhen and its supporters to watch the unique Dragon Boat Festival folk custom of "Dragon Boats Visiting Relatives," explore the intangible heritage market, and taste Hakka dragon boat rice, hoping to give the Shenzhen team and fans a memorable experience.

In Round 6, Zhanjiang beat Yangjiang 2-0 at home, extending their winning streak to five. Taking advantage of Guangzhou's shocking home loss to Yunfu, Zhanjiang opened up a points gap over Guangzhou. Li Guo, who scored twice, topped the scorers' chart, and Zhanjiang's home attendance of 32,561 set a new Guangdong Super League single-match record. Zhanjiang has scored 15 goals in 6 rounds, the most in the league, and conceded only 2, tied for the fewest, making them the biggest title contenders. Traveling to Zhuhai, they naturally aim to maintain their lead in the points table, scorers' chart, and goals-scored chart.

On match day, fans in Zhuhai can watch the provincial-level intangible heritage event, the Qidao Dragon Boat Festival Blessing Parade, participate in Dragon Boat Festival activities at Hengqin Star Land Resort and Haiquan Bay Caribbean Water Park, the Doumen Dragon Boat Culture Festival, the Pingsha Lotus Carnival, Zhuhai's first Ice Products Festival, Ice Cream Festival, Craft Beer Festival, Golden Beach Dragon Boat Festival Folk Fun Fair, Dream Water City, and Tangjia Ancient Town Dragon Boat events—there are plenty of choices.

Zhaoqing has 3 wins and 3 losses for 9 points, sitting fourth in the West. Last round, they beat Zhuhai 2-0, ending a two-game losing streak. Zhaoqing has scored 8 and conceded 6, a balanced record. Notably, Zhaoqing has won all their home games and lost all their away games, making them a typical "home dragon."

Guangzhou suffered a shock home defeat last round, losing 1-0 to Yunfu in stoppage time. This dropped them to 3 points behind Zhanjiang and narrowed the gap to third-place Foshan to just 2 points. This match is a redemption game for them—only three points will do. Guangzhou has a strong defense, conceding only 2 goals (tied for the fewest in the league), but their attack needs improvement. In Round 2, they were held 0-0 away by Zhongshan.

For this crucial Western Division showdown, fans can relax off the field and enjoy the Zhaoqing Star Lake Dragon Boat Race, taste the intangible heritage Zhaoqing Wrapped Zongzi at the 2026 "Zongzi Super League," and take part in the Blue Ribbon Beer Carnival around Star Lake.

Both teams created miracles in Round 6. Foshan scored after just 40 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest goal this season in the Guangdong Super League. Yunfu snatched a 1-0 stoppage-time winner against Guangzhou. Yunfu's upset brought Foshan to within 2 points of Guangzhou, reigniting their hopes of finishing in the top two of the West.

Foshan has 3 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss for 11 points, sitting third in the West, just 2 points behind Guangzhou, keeping their hopes for a top-two finish alive. Foshan's strength lies in defense—they have kept clean sheets in 5 of their 6 matches, making it difficult for opponents to beat them, and this forms the foundation for their progress. Yunfu has 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses for 6 points, placing seventh in the West, but they are only 1 point behind Jiangmen and Maoming ahead, giving them a chance at the playoffs. Like Foshan, their strong point is defense, having kept 3 clean sheets. In this match, it will depend on which team can stay calm and exploit the opponent's weaknesses.

Compared to other cities in Guangdong, Foshan's dragon boat and Dragon Boat Festival culture are unique. They feature the "Water F1" Diejiao dragon boat drifting race, the "Half-Mountain Dragon Boating" on Xiqiao Mountain, the "Yanbu Old Dragon" dragon boat awakening and networking intangible heritage activities in Dali, the lion dance show at Huang Feihong Memorial Hall, as well as the "Ten Thousand People Lou Mein Noodle Feast" in Gaoming Sum Village and the "Blessing Feast" dragon boat rice in Dali Town. Foshan offers not only the green-field passion of the Guangdong Super League but also a unique cultural and culinary atmosphere for the Dragon Boat Festival.