Power to their paddles

He Zhizhao first took part in a dragon boat race when he was 13 years old. At that time, his father was a veteran of the traditional folk sport.

"When I was young, my father always took me to watch how he and his team members did in the races held in nearby villages and towns during the Dragon Boat Festival," said He.

People in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, would gather along the river banks of the Pearl River, which runs through the city, to watch the traditional celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival. The event falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, according to He.

"We cheered for racers when the dragon boats marched toward the finish line in rivers-it was an exciting moment in my childhood memories," said He.

He, 46, a native of Liwan district of Guangzhou set up his own dragon boat racing team in 2014.

Led by He, the team has increased in size from 20 to 43 members. They have taken part in various matches and won medals in the past few years.

"Being a dragon boat racer, we do not row alone-only by rowing in a unified pace can we win every race," said He.

According to He, his team competed in races against dozens of teams from nearby villages and townships before this year's Dragon Boat Festival, which fell on June 7.

In addition to celebrations in the Liwan district, there were four dragon boat races in the booming Tianhe district. They were held in Chebei, Tangxia, Liede and Shenchong villages between May 30 and June 7.

"It is a new challenge for us because our rowers do not seem young," he said. In He's team, there are only two young people, aged 17 and 18.

He had to arrange strength training and practical training in rivers for his team.

"In my village, a large number of young men do not join us to take part in the boat racing," said He.

As a result, He would often bring his friends and relatives to watch how the team performs in boat races.

There are many tributaries of the Pearl River running through villages of the city of Guangzhou, in which some dragon boats have a history going back more than 400 years.

"My father and grandfather played roles in the boat races on these rivers. Encouraging more young men to take part in the racing would be of great significance in protecting the traditional dragon boat culture," said He.

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn