As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, the rivers and ponds of Chenghai District in Shantou City are alive with the sounds of local villagers rigorously training for the traditional dragon boat races. Recently, the training pool in Dutou Village, Shanghua Town, Chenghai District, welcomed a unique group of rowers - international friends from Russia who joined the locals in preparing for the races, immersing themselves in the rich local traditions.

One of the Russian participants, Dahai, explained that their visit to Shantou was initially for purchasing toys in Chenghai to sell back in Russia. Upon hearing from friends about the exciting dragon boat races in Dutou Village, they decided to join the locals in this cultural activity.　　

Despite the rain, Dahai and his friends eagerly rowed alongside the locals, sweating together in the training pool, participating in vibrant local customs, and experiencing the diversity and unique charm of Chinese culture firsthand."It's been a joy to participate in the dragon boat rowing here!" Dahai and his friends exclaimed enthusiastically, expressing their hope to continue participating in the future.

A representative of the Fenggangli Dragon Boat Team in Dutou Village shared that this is the first time in several decades that they have had foreign participants. They hope that the Russian friends feel the warmth of the community and gain a direct understanding of the traditional customs.　　

The local dragon boat races in Dutou Village stand out from others in the region. Unlike the elaborately decorated dragon boats with vividly painted dragon heads and tails, the local boats are adapted from small agricultural boats. These boats lack ornate decorations and large crew capacity, featuring instead a simple, spindle-shaped design. During training, over a dozen of these boats can be seen navigating the narrow, less than 300-meter-long river channels, creating an intense yet orderly spectacle.　　

Moreover, the village's dragon boat race is scheduled for the 10th day of the fifth lunar month (June 15th), instead of the usual Dragon Boat Festival date. This unique timing attracts villagers from nearby areas, who stand along the hundreds of meters of riverbanks to watch the race. On the day of the competition, twenty dragon boats will compete in pairs until the champions are decided by evening.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

汕头澄海：“老龙舟”迎来“新外援”

端午节将至，在汕头市澄海区的江河溪池中，各村落自发组织的端午节龙舟训练正紧锣密鼓地进行中。日前，澄海区上华镇渡头村的龙舟训练池中，迎来了一群特殊的“桡手”——一群来自俄罗斯的国际友人到村中，与村民共同参加龙舟训练，体验当地传统民俗活动。

俄罗斯友人大海表示，本次到汕头是为了来澄海区采购玩具到俄罗斯销售，在采购期间，听到朋友说渡头村的龙舟比赛很有趣，于是和朋友们一起到当地体验。

在雨中，大海和他的朋友们学着桡手一起破浪前行，在训练场里一同挥洒汗水，共同参与独特的民俗文化，亲身感受中国文化的多样性和独特的魅力。“来这里划龙舟很开心！”大海和他的朋友兴奋地说道，“希望接下来还能继续参与！”

渡头村凤岗里龙舟队相关负责人介绍，渡头村划龙舟从数十年前至今，第一次有外国友人共同参与，希望他们能在此感受到大家的热情，直观地体验传统习俗。

记者了解到，这里的龙舟比赛可谓是周边地区最为特殊的。当地龙舟脱胎于小型农用船，没有栩栩如生的“龙头”“龙尾”，没有载员众多、长度夸张的龙身，船身少见五彩斑斓的漆绘，而是两头平平、中间凹下、状若织梭的农用船。日常训练时，在不到300米长的狭长河沟中，十余条龙舟来回穿梭，激烈且有序，呈现出与众不同的赛龙夺锦风格。

此外，该村龙舟开赛日期设于五月初十（6月15日），不同于其他地方为端午节当天。得益于特殊的比赛日期，在正式比赛当天，附近十里八村的村民都会齐聚于此，数百米的堤坝上将会站满观众，二十条龙舟两两竞技，持续至当天傍晚决出冠亚军。

文、图丨记者 曾柯权
翻译丨刘佳慧