Starting on Saturday morning (September 12), the swimmers set off from the river's south bank in an event hosted by the Hangzhou Sports Bureau.

"Across the Qiangtang River in 2020" was organised by the Water Life Saving Association and featured members of the public ranging from the ages of six to 74.

Hangzhou 2022 celebrated the river in the past, with the water-based emblem for the Games being released in August 2018 under the name "Tide Surge".

The river is famed for its bore tide.

Various water-based competitions and performances were held throughout the city to celebrate two years until the Games are scheduled to open.

The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games are currently scheduled to run from September 10 to 25.

The Organising Committee was invited to be a part of the annual swimming event and used it to promote the importance of fitness.

Among the 2,022 taking part, 1,953 joined a mass-crossing group while the other 69 braved open waters.

To ensure safety of all participating amid the coronavirus pandemic, it was required that all involved had been living in Zhejiang Province long-term and had not been to a high-risk area in the past 14 days.

Every applicant was also been tested for the virus and signed a disclaimer to take individual responsibility for their actions.