On June 5th, Yangji Village in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, held an exuberant dragon boat "caiqing" and trial rowing ceremony. Unlike other central districts, Yuexiu has fewer villages that host dragon boat activities, making Yangji Village's event particularly special. The unearthing of the dragon boat conducted by landlords in Yangji brought excitement to the dragon boat community.

The ceremony began at 1:00p.m. with members of the Yangji Village dragon boat team gathering at the village's ancestral temple for the initiation. According to the legend, the dragon boats, having "slept" for a year, are somewhat "sluggish." Thus, people need to perform the caiqing and trial rowing rituals to awaken the dragon boats and prepare them for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival.

Following the initiation, participants paraded with dragon boat heads, tails, gongs, umbrellas, and religious items toward the Yangji River. Very soon, thousands of cheerful spectators lined up along the river bank. Among the various items brought aboard, pots with green rice seedlings stood out, symbolizing wishes for favorable weather and bountiful harvests in the coming year.

One of the standout participants was Qin Jinzao, a sprightly 72-year-old who moved with remarkable agility. "Dragon boating keeps me young," he remarked with a smile, admitting to being a dragon boat enthusiast since the village resumed the tradition in 1981. "I participate every year," he added.

Qin explained that this year, the village will send out four dragon boats to visit various locales. On the first and third days of the fifth lunar month, the boats will tour the villages of "Hebei" (north of the Pearl River), while on the second and fourth days, they will visit villages of "Henan" (south of the Pearl River). On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, Yangji's dragon boats will perform a grand parade along the Yangji River.

What gratifies him is that more and more villagers are embracing and participating in dragon boat races, thus preserving this tradition. "Initially, there were only two boats. Later, it increased to four, and now we have six!"

Compared to Qin, 38-year-old Li Baolin is more robust. He has extensive experience in dragon boating. He started training on the boat with adults at the age of nine because there was no age limit back then. He is now a key rower and the captain of one of the boats. In his view, safety and camaraderie are paramount. "As the captain, I must ensure that everyone comes with joy and returns home safely," he said.

Yangji River, part of the Shahe River, was once believed to be 50 meters wide. However, years of silting, low water levels, and urban changes have left Yangji River narrower and with consistently low water levels compared to other central district waterways. Maintaining the dragon boating tradition despite these unfavorable conditions is a source of pride for the people of Yangji.

It Is understood that in Yuexiu District, the villages with dragon boat racing customs are Yangji Village in Meihua Village Subdistrict and Siyou Village in Dongshan Subdistrict. Amidst high-rise buildings, the traditional sound of dragon boat drums brings a sense of familiarity to nearby residents. For them, the "landlord sports event" is the best opportunity to experience tradition up close.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

越秀“房东”申请出战！广州杨箕村龙舟采青“推水”

6月5日，广州市越秀区杨箕村举行了隆重的龙舟采青推水仪式。与其他中心区相比，越秀区扒龙舟的村子较少。杨箕“房东”起龙，让龙舟“朋友圈”都欢呼雀跃。

当天下午1时，杨箕村龙舟队的成员们在村子祠堂群玉虚宫举办了启动仪式。相传龙舟起水时，经过一年沉睡，难免有点头昏脑涨，采青推水后，沉睡一年的“龙”才会神清气爽，在端午节大展身手。

启动仪式后，人们抬着龙头、龙尾、锣架、罗伞、神斗等浩浩荡荡地走向杨箕涌。涌边瞬间人声鼎沸，十分热闹。在上船的众多物品中，几个栽种着青禾苗的花盘格外引人瞩目。村民们将禾苗陆续带上船，希望新的一年风调雨顺，五谷丰登。

在一众桡手中，72岁的秦锦钊显得格外突出。他步履轻快，完全看不出年龄。“扒龙舟让我越来越年轻。”他笑着说，自己有“龙舟瘾”，自从1981年村子重新开始扒龙舟后，“我年年都参加。”

他介绍，今年村子将有四条龙舟去各村“趁景”，其中，农历五月初一、初三，杨箕龙舟将在“河北”（珠江以北）走访，初二初四则到“河南”（珠江以南）“趁景”。五月初五，杨箕龙舟将集中在杨箕涌进行巡游表演。

让他欣慰的是，村子越来越多人热爱并参与到龙舟运动中来，传承这项传统，“原来是两条船，后来增加到四条，现在有六条了！”

与钊哥相比，38岁的李保林更显健硕。他的龙舟经验非常丰富。他说，由于以前没有登船年龄限制，9岁就开始跟大人上舟训练。他是主力桡手，也是一艘船的“船长”。在他看来，安全第一，友谊第一，“作为船长，我的责任就是保证大家开开心心地来，平平安安回家。”

杨箕涌是沙河涌的一部分，相传宽度曾经有50米。但长年的淤塞、枯水以及城市变迁，如今杨箕涌相比较中心区其他河道，显得非常狭窄，且常年水位较低。在这种情况下，保持龙舟的传统，是杨箕人的骄傲。

据了解，越秀区目前有扒龙舟习俗的主要是梅花村街的杨箕村和东山街的寺右村。四周是林立的高楼，传统的龙船鼓声声响起，让附近居民都感到非常亲切。对他们来说，“房东运动会”也是他们近距离感受传统的最佳机会。

文丨记者 李春炜
图丨记者 周巍
翻译丨刘佳慧