On the morning ......of May 12, at the Nansha kayak base on the Jiaomen River, accompanied by loud shouts and bursts of drums, a team of Nansha athletes waved their sculls and rowed the dragon boat forward. Many nearby residents also stopped on the shore to cheer for the athletes.
The local dragon boat team in Nansha trains on the Jiaomen River
From the Nansha Kayaking Base, I learned that the 2024 Nansharon Boat Race, which is popular with the masses, will be held on the Jiaomen River, and these athletes are training for the upcoming dragon boat race.
What's more exciting is that this year, the Guangzhou (Nansha) Dragon Boat Team will also represent Guangzhou City in Frankfurt, Germany to participate in the "2024 First Frankfurt International Dragon Boat Friendship Race" held on May 25.
Group photo of Guangzhou (Nansha) dragon boat team
Last year, the Guangzhou (Nansha) Dragon Boat Team, which also represented Guangzhou, won the overall championship at the 2023 Darwin International Dragon Boat Festival held in Darwin, Australia.
The local dragon boat team in Nansha trains on the Jiaomen River
"I have been practicing 'dragon boating' for more than 20 years, and the local 'dragon boating' atmosphere in Nansha is very good." Zhang Zhiyuan, from the dragon boat team of the Nansha Sports Federation, said in an interview that Nansha District is located at the mouth of the Pearl River, with a developed river system within its administrative jurisdiction, a vast water area, clear river water, and a strong marine culture.
He introduced that in addition to exercising, participating in dragon boat sports can also exercise the collective spirit. "The team sent this time is strong and has been formed for a long time, and I hope they will work hard to achieve good results." Zhang Zhiyuan said about the dragon boat team that sent Germany to compete.
"Dragon boating" is a folk activity that has been passed down from generation to generation by the masses, has a high degree of love, has a wide range of participation, and has a good survival. In addition to the "dragon boat", in the cultural and creative exchange exhibition area at the competition site, Nansha cultural exchange representatives will also display the skills of Xiangyun yarn and share calligraphy works of the national intangible cultural heritage, so that foreign friends can deeply understand the broad and profound Chinese culture.
It is reported that the 2024 first Frankfurt International Dragon Boat Friendship Race will have 23 teams and nearly 460 athletes from China, Germany, Italy, France and other countries and regions to participate in the dragon boat race on the banks of the Main River in Frankfurt, and jointly present a wonderful dragon boat race.
"There are a total of 21 members in this expedition, including 8 female members and 13 male members." Zhao Rongrong, president of the Guangzhou Nansha District Sports Federation and leader of the Guangzhou (Nansha) team of the dragon boat team, introduced to Xiaonan that she had led Nansha District to win the traditional dragon championship of the 2019 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Race, and led the team to participate in the 2023 Darwin International Dragon Boat Festival in Australia last year.
Among them, Zhang Qiguang, the coach of the dragon boat team, is from Huangge Town, Nansha District, who became a kayaker at the age of 15 and chose to be a dragon boat runner and coach after retiring, and has participated in a number of dragon boat events at home and abroad.
The local dragon boat team in Nansha trains on the Jiaomen River
It is reported that this year is the 10th anniversary of the establishment of an all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany, and the exchanges and cooperation between Guangzhou and Germany are particularly close, and Frankfurt is a sister city of Guangzhou, located on both sides of the Main River, on the great plain south of the Taunus Mountains, and is the fifth largest city in Germany.
The local dragon boat team in Nansha trains on the Jiaomen River
Source: Nansha District Rong Media Center