On June 16^th, the annual Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament took place. The section of the Pearl River running through Guangzhou was transformed into a scene of "Fast and the Furious" as dragon boats gathered for the competition.

In Guangdong, the dragon boat gatherings during the Dragon Boat Festival are often referred to as "Jing (scene)." This year's "Guangzhou dragon boat gathering" attracted 111 dragon boat teams and nearly 4,000 athletes. Participants included local teams from Guangzhou and other cities in Guangdong province, Hong Kong, Macao, as well as international teams from the United States, Canada, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan.

With so many dragon boat gatherings happening, why do people choose to witness the one in Guangzhou?

One of the closest teams to the racecourse was the Sun Yat-sen University dragon boat team, as the racecourse was right outside the university's north gate. Tian Liang, the coach of the Sun Yat-sen University dragon boat team and a world champion rower, spoke highly of the event: "The Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament is one of the most formal and significant competitions in China. Participating in such a competition is a great experience for university dragon boat teams."

A highlight of the Guangzhou dragon boat race has always been the challenge posed by teams from Hong Kong and Macao to the local teams. On June 16th, the racecourse on the Pearl River welcomed the Hong Kong Leli Dragon Boat Team, participating for the first time in Guangzhou. "We've always wanted to compete in Guangzhou. This year, we learned that other Hong Kong teams had been invited, so we asked them to convey our wish to participate, and we were also invited," said Tan Shuxian, a member of the Hong Kong Leli Dragon Boat Team.

The race also saw returning teams, such as the Macao Canoe General Association, which sent both men's and women's teams this year. "We've been coming to compete in Guangzhou for over ten years and have won several top rankings," said Zhou Gen, leader of the Macao Canoe General Association men's dragon boat team. "We have a deep affection for Guangzhou, and we are very happy to compete here again," added Liang Yuqing, a member of the women's team.

Guangzhou is an international metropolis, and the development of dragon boat racing in this city often sees innovative breakthroughs. One such innovation is the formation of the Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Team, which breaks the nationality barrier by including both expatriates from China and other countries. "Guangzhou is our home, and competing on the Pearl River is very important to us," said David White, the British general manager of the team. Over the past year, the team has competed in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and South Korea, but they never miss the events in Guangzhou.

"Dining in Guangzhou" is one of the city's biggest attractions for visitors. Participants in this year's Guangzhou International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament were equally eager to sample the city's renowned cuisine.

"Our team members all know that Guangzhou is a food paradise. Coming to Guangzhou, we hope to taste more of its famous dishes," said Tan Shuxian. They hope to explore the city's culinary delights beyond the meals provided at the event. "Guangzhou has many delicious foods that attract our team members," added Zhou Gen. Each trip to Guangzhou combines dragon boat racing with culinary experiences, making the participants very happy.

"In my eyes, Guangzhou is the most livable city in China," said David White. He hopes that dragon boat enthusiasts from all over the world will not only come to race or tour but also consider staying to live and work after deepening their connection with the city.

Source :Yangcheng Evening News

广州国际龙舟邀请赛为何值得来？

6月16日，一年一度的广州国际龙舟邀请赛再次上演。珠江广州河段，也再度因“群龙聚首”而上演“速度和激情”。

广东不少地方将端午时节的龙舟聚集场景称为“景”。2024年广州国际龙舟邀请赛所形成的“广州景”，共吸引到111支龙舟队近4000名运动员参加；不仅有广州本地及广东省其他地市，还包括中国香港、中国澳门，美国、加拿大、马来西亚、哈萨克斯坦等地代表队伍参赛。

端午时节处处有“景”，为何大家愿意“趁广州景”？

参加广州国际龙舟邀请赛的众多队伍，哪支距离本次赛道“最近”？可能是中山大学龙舟队。该校北门外，就是本次比赛的赛道。谈起广州国际龙舟邀请赛，中山大学龙舟队教练、赛艇世界冠军田靓给予高度评价：“广州国际龙舟邀请赛是国内比较正规且重大的比赛。大学生龙舟队能够参加这样的比赛，是一次很好的历练。”

港澳龙舟队伍挑战“本地龙”，一直是广州龙舟赛的看点。6月16日的珠江赛道上，迎来首赴广州参赛的香港乐力龙舟队。“我们一直想来广州比赛。今年我们了解到其他香港队伍已获邀，便托已获邀的队伍向广州方面表达参赛意愿，后来我们同样获得邀请。”香港乐力龙舟队队员谭淑贤介绍。

有“新龙”也有“老龙”，去年曾来广州参赛的澳门独木舟会，今年再次派出男女两支龙舟队赴广州参赛。“我们来广州的参赛史，超过十年，还拿过不少好名次。”澳门独木舟会男子龙舟队领队周根介绍。“参赛多年，我们对广州很有感情。能够再次来广州参赛，我们很开心。”澳门独木舟会女子龙舟队队员梁玉卿说。

广州是一座国际化大都市，龙舟运动在这座城市的发展常有突破创新之举。其中一项创举，便是打破运动员国籍限制，以“广州”为名组建龙舟队征战本土和海外。广州国际龙舟队，便是一支容纳了在穗外籍人士、广州本地居民的龙舟队。“广州是我们的家，在珠江比赛对我们来说很重要。”作为这支龙舟队的总经理，英国人白大卫介绍，过去一年队伍曾去过菲律宾、马来西亚、泰国、韩国等地比赛，而广州的赛事他们一定不会错过。

“食在广州”，美食是广州对各地游客最大的吸引力之一。此次参加广州国际龙舟邀请赛的外地队员，同样也对广州美食垂涎已久。

“我们的队员们都知道广州是美食天堂。这回来广州，也希望能够品尝更多美食。”谭淑贤表示，他们希望在赛会安排的餐饮以外，赛后再到广州逛吃逛吃。“广州有很多美食，非常吸引我们的队员。”周根介绍，每次广州行都有龙舟竞技和美食品尝，队员们都很开心。

“在我眼中，广州是中国最宜居的城市。”白大卫表示，希望各地龙舟好手不仅来赛龙舟或者旅游，还能通过对广州加深认识留下来生活工作。

文、图｜记者 梁怿韬 徐炜伦
译 | 刘佳慧