Dragons are a staple of East-Asian culture and history and unlike European dragons, they are the symbols of power, strength, and good luck. Similarly, the Dragon Boat Race set represents a number of positive qualities associated with sportsmanship.

The whole series of new, predominantly China-inspired sets has generated so much buzz we can only speculate why but one thing is clear - it's a new direction for non-fantasy, non-sci-fi Lego sets and although Lego has been fascinated by Asian culture and tradition for some time (the whole Ninjago theme for example), this 'normal' and people-centric set offers something quite different.

As I've already mentioned, it's a figure-based set and you get fifteen minifigs, five civilians (quite common figs) and ten sportsmen which are really worth getting in my opinion - not just for their amazing torsos but they also feature a plethora of funky and less common hairstyles. Only a couple of minifigs have alternate faces, however.

The boats themselves look unlike anything I've seen with Lego sets. I'm no expert on Asian culture but I find the boats beautiful and they employ some rather interesting building techniques for the dragon heads ornaments and include a number of less usual elements and recolours. I think everybody will be shocked by the use of a certain croissant piece!
Included are some auxiliary builds to complement the scene and I believe they succeed as well. You will certainly appreciate some of the detailing and exclusive printed pieces (however, be warned, there are some stickers - which I traditionally refuse to apply - they are nice but mostly cosmetic anyway).

As an adult it's always quite difficult for me to judge the play value. The boats come with tiny wheels, so they can be moved on non-carpeted surfaces, you can pose a large number of minifigs, even create some fierce paddle battles...

For me personally it's a great display set. If you own any Ninjago City sets, it will be a worthy addition to your collection. The price and the value seem reasonable, especially if you get it with some VIP points or better as a gift.