To celebrate the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, 12 teams made up of students from Cambridge and neighboring universities have gathered on the River Cam for a special boat race. (Photo/cri.cn)
The Dragon Boat Festival is well on the horizon, and dragon boat racing is an integral part of the celebration. However, this traditional sport, which emphasizes teamwork, is also gaining popularity outside of China. We take a look at a special dragon boat race on the River Cam in Cambridge.
Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese tradition, and now the fastest growing water activity in Britain today!
To celebrate the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, 12 teams made up of students from Cambridge and neighboring universities have gathered on the River Cam for a special boat race.
"Dragon boat racing is obviously a Chinese thing, so the students ask me why don't we do a Cambridge boat race with dragon boat and that has become the highlight of our event," said Xie Yaolin, president of UK Chinese Sports Game.
Paddling and keeping up to the rhythm of drumbeats is no easy task. Yet, in spite of the competitive nature of the race, for some, it's all about the process, not the final outcome.
"Dragon boat racing is a great hobby. It hones team spirit as well as invigorating the mind . It's a good way to have fun during the holidays," said a man.
The organizer says what's important is that the event brings together Chinese and non-Chinese participants.
"Back in the 1970s, when I was studying here in Cambridge, there's only about 20 Chinese here. And it was in 1996 that we held the first dragon boat festival in Cambridge. Since then we've made the dragon boat race a regular thing in Cambridge. It's a great way to enhance cultural exchanges between our two countries," said Li Bingnan, president of Cambridge Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.
Participants can also enjoy a variety of traditional folk activities such as lion dancing and making "Zongzi", a staple of this traditional festival.
