On June 10th, the 2023 Guangzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Promoting Event s with its GBA Invitational Dragon Boat Race (Guangdong) kicked off in the Shatian town of Dongguan. As the highlight of the event,the GBA Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament, the Dongguan Dragon Boat Championship, and the Shatian Dragon Boat Championship were held one by one, unfolding before our eyes the unique charm and profound contents of the dragon boat culture.
During the races, the dragon boat teams were all "on fire"as they put themselves on a "full court press" on water. Finally, the teams from Shatian town and Zhongtang town won the invitational tournament and the Dongguan championship respectively, while the team from Zhongwei village swept the gold medals of both the male and female groups in the Shatian championship.
It is worth noting that Shatian town of Dongguan and Sha Tin District of Hong Kong(both are written as "沙田" in Chinese) were neck and neck with each other during the race, after which they won the first and second place respectively, marking a new milestone of exchange and cooperation between the two places. Not long ago, they started to pair up and work together for development. Guided by the governments of both places, a delegation of community leaders from the Sha Tin District of Hong Kong has visited the Shatian town of Dongguan for study and exchange.
The invitational tournament also served as a grand gathering for the GBA cities. Nine teams from Hong Kong and Macao including the Dragon Boat Team collaborated by Shatian Town in Dongguan with Sha Tin District in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Police Dragon Boat Team and Macao Canoe Club Dragon Boat Team, as well as nine teams from the GBA cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, have taken part in the race.
In addition to the invitational race mentioned above, there were also activities featuring the "Dragon Boat Month" of Dongguan, such as the Dongguan Dragon Boat Championship and the Shatian Dragon Boat Final Championship, in which ten traditional male teams from coastal towns and streets in Dongguan and twelve teams from Shatian town raced against each other fiercely. Traditional ceremonies such as dragon boat raising, dragon eye-dotting, and dragon boat parades were also carried out during the event.
Dongguan, with two towns - Shatian town and Zhongtang town - titled the "hometown of dragon boats", boasts a rich and profound dragon boat culture. The "Dragon Boat Month" in Dongguan is not only the longest dragon boat racing event in China but also the only national intangible cultural heritage project related to traditional sports, entertainment and acrobatics in Dongguan. Every year, starting from the first day of the fifth lunar month, a month-long dragon boat race will be held in Dongguan, during which every household will enjoy a feast of dragon boat culture together by taking part in the dragon boat race and performance, having traditional dishes and singing songs about dragon boats. In recent years, the Dongguan government has been facilitating dragon boat events all around the city, trying to raise the profile of “Dongguan Dragon Boat Month” among the province and even the country.
With the China Mass Culture Association and the Guangdong Dragon Boat Association as guidance units, the dragon boat race is rather professional. The referee team formed by national and international referees has managed to ensure a fair game according to the standards of the China Longzhou Tournament .
直击粤港澳大湾区（广东）龙舟邀请赛竞渡现场：两地“沙田”包揽前二
6月10日，“非遗潮未来 龙腾大湾区”2023年“文化和自然遗产日”广东主会场（东莞）暨粤港澳大湾区（广东）龙舟邀请赛在东莞沙田启动。作为系列活动的重头戏，粤港澳大湾区（广东）龙舟邀请赛、东莞龙舟锦标赛、沙田镇龙舟锦标赛轮番上演，全面展示龙舟文化的独特魅力和深刻内涵。
竞渡现场，各个龙舟队火力全开，开启水上“狂飙”。最终东莞沙田龙舟队摘得粤港澳大湾区（广东）龙舟邀请赛冠军，中堂镇龙舟队摘得东莞龙舟锦标赛冠军，中围村龙舟队包揽沙田镇龙舟锦标赛男子组、女子组冠军。
值得一提的是，本次赛事中，东莞沙田镇与香港沙田区两地“沙田”更是同心同力赛龙夺锦，包揽本次比赛的冠亚军，推动两地交流合作迈上新台阶。不久前，香港沙田区与东莞沙田镇就开展了结对共建工作。在两地“沙田”政府组织下，“香港沙田社区领袖东莞参观考察交流团”一行来到东莞沙田展开考察交流活动。
本次邀请赛还是一场粤港澳大湾区城市共同参与的盛会，参赛队伍包括沙田·香港同心会龙舟队、香港警察龙舟队、澳门独木舟会龙舟队等9支港澳龙舟队，以及大湾区内广州、深圳、珠海、佛山、惠州、东莞、中山、江门、肇庆的9支龙舟队。
除粤港澳邀请赛外，本次龙舟系列活动结合东莞“龙舟月”这一特色龙舟文化品牌，还举行了东莞龙舟锦标赛、沙田镇龙舟锦标赛决赛，东莞水乡沿海镇街10支男子传统龙舟队、沙田镇男女各6支龙舟队伍分别激烈竞渡。活动期间，还开展请龙头、起龙、洗龙、装龙头、点睛、游龙、吃龙船饭等传统龙舟仪式。
本次龙舟赛事颇具专业水准，专门邀请了中国群众文化学会、广东省龙舟协会作为指导单位，组建以国际级、国家级裁判为主力的裁判团队，严格按照中华龙舟大赛标准执行，确保比赛公平公正。
据了解，东莞龙舟文化底蕴深厚、氛围浓厚，拥有沙田镇、中堂镇2个“中国龙舟之乡”。而“东莞龙舟月”则是全国持续时间最长的赛龙舟活动，也是东莞唯一一个传统体育、游艺与杂技类国家级非遗项目。从每年的农历五月初一开始，东莞就开始为期一个月的龙舟竞渡。其间，东莞人“全家总动员”，划龙舟、趁龙舟景、食龙船饭、唱龙舟歌，共享龙舟文化大餐。近年来，东莞市统筹全市各镇街赛龙舟活动，提升“东莞龙舟月”活动品牌形象，使该项目在全省乃至全国的影响力不断攀升。
翻译｜洪婷
责编 | 王楠
