“Lane five, Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Team.”

“Hey!” Twenty-two voices answered as one. Seconds later, the starting gun cracked. The twenty paddlers hit the water at full speed amid the drumbeats.

“Push! Push! Push!” With the finish line in sight, the drummer roared, driving all twenty paddlers to empty the tank in the final sprint.

On the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the annual Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament kicked off on the Pearl River. For the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Team, this was the day that measured a year's effort. Team members come from different countries but share the same goal: to row hard and go faster!

Paddlers from around the world strive for excellence

With roots stretching back more than 2000 years in South China, dragon boating is one of the world's oldest water sports. Its lasting charm lies in its inclusiveness. Typically, a dragon boat team represents a village or neighborhood, bringing together teammates from all walks of life. However, founded in 1998, the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Team is open to people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, with members coming from different provinces across China as well as countries around the world, including Japan, Jordan, France, the United States, South Africa, and New Zealand.

The Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Team hosts its training sessions at Haizhu Wetland Park every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. A standard dragon boat seats up to 20 paddlers, with a drummer at the bow and a steerer at the stern. Each Wednesday evening, the coaches post a registration link in the team's WeChat group. With two boats available and about 40 training spots in total, these slots fill up quickly. Many paddlers set alarms to grab a spot the moment the link goes live, while latecomers are placed on a waiting list, hoping someone drops out.

Beyond their weekend routines, the team actively competes in races both across China and internationally. Notable achievements over the years include securing second place in the mixed small boat division at the 2016 Hong Kong Harbour Race and finishing fifth in the men's international group at the 2019 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament. The team has also traveled to Kuching, Malaysia, to race under its own banner and has joined forces with crews from Beijing and Shanghai to compete in Canada, Australia, and Switzerland, building friendships and gaining valuable racing experience along the way.

At the 2026 Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament, a full year of training paid off. The women's team advanced to the semifinals and finished 11th out of 19 teams, while the men's team placed sixth among 12.

Dragon boating becomes a way to put down roots in Guangzhou

"Dragon boating is the number one reason I stay in China," said Maen, the team’s Jordanian coach and drummer. He has been practicing dragon boating in Guangzhou, making the sport deeply connected to most of his memories and to the life he has built in the city. “Before I joined the team, a river or a boat in Guangzhou was just part of the scenery,” he said. “Now it feels completely different.”

According to the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Team, when weekly training sessions coincide with Western festivals such as Halloween and Christmas, paddlers will dress in costumes, turning the dragon boat into a floating stage for cosplay, a playful fusion of Western festival culture and Chinese tradition. After weekend sessions, teammates often head out together to hunt down local delicacies. Their bodies are worn out from the water, and their stomachs are satisfied at the table. This is the well-balanced rhythm that Guangzhou offers.

For Pari, a new member, dragon boating changed how she felt about Guangzhou. Having grown up in Xinjiang and lived in Guangzhou for four years, she neither speaks Cantonese nor is familiar with local customs, which often left her feeling like an outsider. "After joining the dragon boat team, my life was enriched by the fascinating atmosphere and team spirit," she said. "Now I feel like a local. I feel much more connected to the city, and I love Guangzhou even more."

That sense of belonging extends beyond the team members living in Guangzhou. Former members who have moved away still follow the team's updates through a WeChat group. For this year's race, Japanese paddler Tachino flew from Nagoya to Guangzhou to rejoin the crew. "It wasn't easy to come from so far away," he said. "But this team is my family in China. I really missed everyone and wanted to fight alongside my family again." To stay sharp, he continues training with a dragon boat club in Kyoto after returning to Japan.

In Guangzhou, dragon boating has become a way for locals and people from around the world to connect through a shared experience. Once the drum beats, team members pull together, stroke by stroke, rowing toward the same goal in the same rhythm, regardless of their origins.

For the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Team, the shared rhythm has transformed an ancient Chinese sport into a way to push their limits, foster a sense of belonging, and call Guangzhou home.

Chief Planner: Zhang Chunqing   

Coordinator: Li Lin   

Executive Producers: Shen Chen, Yin Juewen   

Reported: Ding Hefei 

 Video: Luo Yuan 

Poster: Wu Junli 

Proofreader: Chen Xuede