The 44th Can-Am International Martial Arts Championships, the 5th International Dragon and Lion Dance Competition, and the 12th International Health Qigong Exchange Tournament were successfully held in Vancouver.

The 44th Can-Am International Martial Arts Championships, the 5th International Dragon and Lion Championships, and the 12th International Health Qigong Exchange Competition were held at the Richmond Winter Olympic Gymnasium on May 9 and 10, 2026, local time in Vancouver. Martial arts, Dragon and Lion dance, and Health Qigong teams from Canada, the United States, and various other countries and regions gathered together to participate in an exciting two-day event.

The event was filled with the sounds of drums and gongs, and the movements of dragons and lions. More than 20 Dragon and Lion teams took the stage one after another, fully showcasing the charm and vitality of traditional Chinese culture. Master Ken Low, the founder of the event and president of the 44th Canadian International Martial Arts Championship, said he hoped the event would promote Chinese martial arts, Health Qigong, and the spirit of Dragons and Lions, facilitate cultural exchanges at the international level, and provide a platform for young people to hone their skills and foster friendships.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie of Richmond, Zhou Zhihua, Cultural Counsellor of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Vancouver, BC MLA George Chow, Teresa Wat, Chen Jianliang - Deputy Director of International Affairs and Liaison of the Chinese Dragon and Lion Sports Association, National A-level Coach, as well as several community leaders and guests attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches, expressing high praise for the event’s long-term promotion of cultural exchanges and community unity.

This tournament featured a total of 168 competition events, attracting nearly 800 athletes to participate. Among them, the first-day selection competition for the Canadian national team of dragon and lion dance, and the 12 teams competing in the International South Lion Traditional Competition, vied fiercely for the top three honors of gold, silver, and bronze. This intense competition was one of the highlights of the event. After two days of intense competition, the tournament concluded to warm applause. The event not only provided a platform for martial arts enthusiasts and Dragon and Lion Dance lovers from various countries to showcase and exchange their skills, but it also further promoted the dissemination and development of Chinese martial arts Dragon and Lion Dance culture in North America, embodying the spirit of multicultural integration in the community.