The Yangtze River Crossing Festival, an annual gala in Wuhan, will take place this year on July 16, local media said on Thursday.

This year’s festival consists of individual events and team events.

A total of 153 swimmers aged 14 to 45 are qualified for individual events. Divided into men and women groups, they are 105 ordinary swimmers and 48 high-level athletes from professional teams of Hubei, Liaoning, Shaanxi and Britain.

Athletes will swim approximately 1,800 meters, starting from Hanyang Gate in Wuchang District and finishing at Nan'anzui in Hanyang District.

The prize money, ranging from 6,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan, will be awarded to the men's and women's top 8. The athletes who finish the race within 25 minutes before closing time will receive a reward of 2,000 yuan.

Team events stage a comeback after a three-year hiatus. A total of 1,850 participants will form 28 teams to swim approximately 6,000 meters from Hanyang Gate in Wuchang District to Sanyang Square in Hankou Bund.

First launched in 2013, the Yangtze River Crossing Festival has been held for 47 editions. It serves not only as a sports event, but as a name card of Wuhan. (en.hubei.gov.cn by Zhang Yawei）