The May sun is not yet too hot, and the breeze is gently blowing. At 1:30 p.m. on May 13, in the waters on the west side of the Yanzhou Sluice Bridge in the Shiqiao Waterway, the Panxi Dragon Boat Team from Pangjiang East Village began their daily training. The sparkling water of the river and the green scenery on the shore make for a beautiful picture.
The Panxi Dragon Boat Team stepped up training
More than 100 villagers, ranging in age from 18 to 55, trained from 1:30 to 5:30 every afternoon. On the banks of this beautiful Shiqiao River, they greeted the upcoming dragon boat season with sweat and hard work.
Village cadres revealed to reporters that at the beginning of the training, the team members focused on water-based adaptation training, and then gradually increased the training intensity, selected the best dragon boat players, and formed a strong team to prepare for the upcoming Shixiang dragon boat recruitment activities.
Panxi Dragon Boat Team
"Shixiang Dragon Boat Club" is a traditional custom inherited by ten villages on the north bank of the Shiqiao River, including Xinqiao Village, Shigang East Village, Shigang West Village, Pangjiang West Village, and Panjiang East Village. From the first day of the fifth lunar month to the seventh day of the fifth lunar month, the dragon boat teams of these 10 villages gather together to visit each village according to a fixed schedule to welcome the Dragon Boat Festival together. At that time, the beautiful scenery of the Shiqiao River waterway has become their best stage to witness their unity and hard work.
As one of the members of the 100-year-old Shixiang Dragon Boat Club, the Panxi Dragon Boat Team of Panjiang East Village has a rich cultural heritage. During the Dragon Boat Festival every year, the dragon boat team actively participates in dragon boat activities, and they compete on this beautiful riverside, showing the style and strength of the people of Panjiangdong Village, and also adding a touch of bright color to the beautiful Shiqiao Riverside.
Text/photo: Panyu financial media reporter Deng Fang