The dragon boat season in the Greater Bay Area is longer than the actual dragon boats themselves, starting with the training well before the Qingming Festival and continuing with the lively sound of drums and gongs even after the Dragon Boat Festival.

In the Lingnan region, dragon boat racing is more commonly referred to as "扒龙船" (literally "dragon boat paddling"). The word "paddling" vividly conveys a sense of vigor and highlights the challenging conditions of the dragon boat race in Guangdong.

While shaping the geographical texture of the Lingnan region, nature has also shaped the personality of the people in the GBA, creating a unique approach to dragon boat racing, with variations such as dragon boat drifting, offshore races, and upstream races... This demonstrates the ability of the Lingnan people to adapt to their environment while also pushing boundaries and innovating, with a clever balance between adaptation and innovation.

Why are the typically reserved Guangdong people so enthusiastic during dragon boat races?

Out of the 52 days from April 17^th to the day before the Dragon Boat Festival, Guangdong experienced 45 days of rain. However, weather has never been a reason to interrupt dragon boat races. For the people in the GBA, as long as there is a dragon boat to paddle, they are willing to overcome any obstacles. This fearless and persevering spirit in the face of adversity is ingrained in the genes of the people in the GBA.

Favoring a "self-made" mentality, the people in the GBA hardly complain about external challenges. Passive acceptance is never an option. Over 40 years ago, this region took the lead in shouting the slogan of "carving out a path with bloodshed." Today, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), with less than 0.6% of China's land area, generates one-ninth of the country's total economic output. This is a testament to the region's pioneering spirit.

With the dragon boat spirit of daring to be the first, Guangdong people voyaged to the four corners of the earth. And because of the strong nostalgia carried by dragon boats, they were brought together again despite being scattered across the globe.

In many places in the GBA, the sound of the dragon boat drums is a call for those who have left their hometown to return and compete for the collective honor of their village.

In Diejiao, Foshan, the annual Dragon Boat Festival is not only a battle for the collective honor of the entire village between the returned villagers, but also a call for the Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, who are just a stone’s throw away and share the same cultural roots with the Chinese mainland, to return. In response to this call, many of them have picked up the paddles, made the long journey across the border to join the dragon boat paddling, including 17-year-old Macao youth Wen Yongcheng, who participated in the race in his hometown for the first time this year. For over a month before the race, he traveled from Macao to Diejiao every Friday after school to train for the race, vigorously propelling himself in the waterways of his hometown.

Nowadays, the increasing number of dragon boat races held in the GBA becomes a testament to the region's integration and the spirit of collaboration.

With a shared heritage and common ancestry, there is hope as long as everyone is willing to work together on the same boat.

Source :Yangcheng Evening News

大湾区人为何对“扒龙船”这么上头？

清明节前就早早下水训练，端午节过后还在锣鼓喧天——比大湾区的龙舟还长的，是大湾区的龙舟季。

在岭南地区，划龙舟更普遍的称呼是“扒龙船”。一个“扒”字，尽显生猛，更点出了在广东赛龙舟客观条件的不易。

自然在塑造岭南地区地貌肌理的同时，也塑造了大湾区人的个性，让这里形成了别具一格的赛龙舟“打开模式”：漂移龙舟、海上赛龙、逆水龙船......这当中，既有顺应形势也有突破创新，岭南人总能在适应环境和改造自己当中取得巧妙的平衡。

一向低调著称的广东人，为何唯独在赛龙舟时如此张扬？

从4月17日到端午前一天这52天里，广东整整下了45天雨。然而，下雨从来不是中断龙船赛事的理由。在大湾区人眼里，只要有龙船可“扒”，就值得克服一切困难。这种不惧风雨、风雨兼程的乐观精神自然也浸润到大湾区人的基因里。

崇尚“食自己”（靠自己做出成就）的大湾区人也几乎不怎么抱怨客观条件的困难。被动接受从来不是选项，在40多年前，这片土地率先喊出“杀出一条血路”，时至今日，粤港澳大湾区以不到全国0.6%的国土面积，创造了全国九分之一的经济总量。改革先行地，所言不虚。

广东人因敢为人先的龙舟精神天各一方，又因龙舟承载的浓厚乡愁再次聚首。

在大湾区不少地方，龙船鼓一响，就是回乡拼搏的召唤。

在佛山叠滘，每年的端午龙舟季，不只是游子回乡为全村“集体荣誉而战”，一衣带水、根在内地的港澳乡亲们听到龙船鼓声的召唤，拿起船桨，不惧路途遥远，跨境回乡扒龙舟者也不在少数。今年，17岁的澳门青年温永铖第一次回祖籍叠窖参赛。在比赛前一个多月，他每周五放学后坚持从澳门回到叠滘参与扒龙船训练，在家乡的河道里奋楫。

如今，越来越多以粤港澳大湾区为名的龙舟赛事举办，这何尝不是双向奔赴、大湾区融合一体的一扇窗口，一种佐证？

一脉相承，同根同源，只要大家愿意在一条船上同舟共济，那就有希望。

来源｜央视新闻
译｜洪婷