Wei Jie

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HEAVY rain that hit Shekou early Saturday morning failed to dampen the festive spirit along the Houhai Central River, where the sixth Houhai Central River Fun Dragon Boat Race took place.

The event kicked off at 8:30 a.m. with a traditional dragon boat eye-dotting ritual, which is believed to infuse dragon boats with spiritual energy. Following the ceremony, approximately 700 paddlers across 48 teams started competing in 12-person standard dragon boats, fueled by rhythmic drumbeats and thunderous cheers from the crowd.

“I’m so excited to take part in this race,” said Timur Norov, a Russian member of this year’s Shekou Global Trotters team. Norov, who first competed in the Shekou race in 2023, expressed his delight at returning. “I remember being exhausted after my first race. This time I feel more confident because we had three training sessions to prepare ourselves for the race.”

The Global Trotters, a team composed of expats living in Shekou, competed in the 400-meter straight-line return race. Under the command of Philippine-born coach Gerald Jek Manuel, the team paddled into the second round, but was narrowly eliminated, missing the next stage by just two seconds to finish in seventh place.

“I think we were paddling in a good pace. We had a good spirit, and it was nice that the viewers were supporting us,” said Marina Vilchinskaia.

The Hong Kong Shekou Association team took first place in the category with a time of 4:11:288.

A highlight of this year’s event was the debut of the teenage division, featuring eight teams from six local primary and middle schools competing in 200-meter straight-line sprints. The addition is a flagship result of the “Dragon Boat in Schools” pilot program in Nanshan District.

Shenzhen Nanshan Shekou School dominated the category, sweeping both the primary and middle school titles.

Beyond the competitive races, the Houhai Central River Water Sports Center hosted a public carnival. Residents enjoyed paddleboarding and kayaking sessions. A “Duck Rescue” game on the water allowed participants to collect floating rubber ducks in exchange for cultural creative gifts. On the riverbanks, a community sports fair featured interactive booths where families collected stamps by completing challenges related to Nanshan landmarks and dragon boat trivia, blending athletic competition with local tradition.