After winning the 200-meter straight race of the big dragon boat, the Guangdong Zhongshan Huiquan dragon boat team won the 500-meter championship, becoming the biggest winner of this dragon boat race. Yesterday, the "Longyou Ancient Town Race for a Millennium - The First Millennium Ancient Town (Songjiang Sijing) Dragon Boat Invitational Race in 2023" came to an end.
"1 minute 47 seconds 20!" The Guangdong Zhongshan Huiquan Dragon Boat Team rushed to the finish of the 500-meter straight race, overwhelming the other five teams with an absolute advantage. In the final that morning, the Guangdong Zhongshan Huiquan Dragon Boat Team had won the first place in the 200-meter straight. According to the comprehensive results, Guangdong Zhongshan Huiquan Dragon Boat Team won the championship, Fujian Minhou Sugarcane Dragon Boat Team, and Zhejiang Ningbo Cicheng Ancient Town Dragon Boat Team won the second and third places respectively.
"We're here for the 200m and 500m champions!" Guangdong Zhongshan Huiquan dragon boat team leading coach Wang Xiangyu said. It is understood that the Guangdong Zhongshan Huiquan Dragon Boat Team was established in 2021 and has 24 members, who come from all walks of life. Since the formation of the team, the Huiquan Dragon Boat Team has been participating in various competitions and has repeatedly won the top three. "We have been training professionally for a long time, and we have invested up to 10 months of training throughout the year, and we specially trained for one month for this competition." Wang Xiangyu said that the Sijingtang river channel is similar to the river they trained, and the team members experienced it very well.
The drums on the Sijing pond burst out, and the water splashed. In addition to the citizens who came to watch the game to enjoy the game, the residential buildings on the riverbank were also bustling. The building where Zhou Kuqin, a resident of Runjiang Flower Garden, is located, has become the best viewing platform, and the scene of the competition is at a glance. He invited three or four friends to his house for a small gathering and prepared a hearty lunch. Resident Ji Qing is a photography enthusiast, and because the balcony at home is close to the competition venue, he has recorded all the scenes with his lens from the beginning of the preparation of the competition. On the day of the race, his family's "observation deck" was also booked by colleagues early to take the children to enjoy the dragon boat race in front of his home.
The colorful auspicious dragon dances with the hydrangea and changes into various aura shapes. At the opening ceremony, 9 teams from Shanghai Urban Construction Vocational College, Shanghai Zhujiajiao Middle School, Qingpu District Donghu Middle School, Jiading Private Bin Xin School and Ningbo Fenghua Bulong Cultural Research Center brought the dragon dance performance "Dragon Soaring Era". In addition, there is also the song "Next Stop, Sijing" "debuted" for the first time, inviting visitors from all over the world to share the prosperity of the thousand-year-old town. "In the future, Sijing will take the ancient town as the carrier, make use of the characteristics of Jiangnan Water Town to integrate sports elements, carry forward various traditional cultures, and explore the integrated development of cultural and sports tourism." The relevant person in charge of Sijing Town said.
Text: Chen Feixi
Photo: Chen Feixian Photo courtesy of interviewee
Editor: Fan Jiaqi