"Boom, boom, boom." The drumbeats echoed across the water, making the river surface tremble with every strike. Along Liede Creek, a standard dragon boat sliced swiftly through the waves like an arrow released from a bow. On board, members of the Liede women's dragon boat team moved in perfect unison. Dozens of figures rose and fell with the rhythm of the boat, their silhouettes reflected on the shimmering water. Their movements were graceful yet powerful, creating a unique sight in downtown Guangzhou.

In the past, dragon boat racing was traditionally reserved for men, with the old custom of "women staying off the boats" upheld for generations. The Liede women's team has broken away from that tradition and focused on competitive standard dragon boat racing. Liede formed its first women's dragon boat team as early as the 1960s. In 1998, it established the first village-level women's dragon boat team in Guangdong Province, and in 2019, the team was officially named the "Rose Dragon Boat Team." After reassembling its members in 2021, the team had just regained its training rhythm when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a suspension. They returned to the water in 2022 and entered their first competition in 2023. Since then, the team members have paddled together for three years.

"We organize training sessions ourselves and train for three hours every day," said team captain Liang Jiayao. Compared with men's teams that compete year-round and have accumulated extensive experience, the women face more challenges that often go unnoticed. Balancing cooking, caring for family members, household responsibilities and training is not easy, yet no one has chosen to leave the team.

"Every year, having a period of time to battle it out alongside my sisters makes me much happier than simply staying at home as a housewife," Liang said, expressing the feelings shared by many teammates. During training, they endure hardship together and race with one heart; during breaks, they accompany one another, building a bond of trust and closeness.

广州猎德女子龙舟队：高楼之下，桨影生风

“咚咚咚”，鼓点落进水里，一下一下震得江面发颤。猎德涌边，一条标准龙舟破水疾驰，如箭出弦。舟上，猎德女子龙舟队的队员们身姿齐整，数十道身影随舟身起伏，映在摇晃的江波之间，利落又鲜活，成了广州中心区独特的风景。

旧时龙舟竞渡仅限男子参与，传统龙舟长久以来恪守着“女子不上船”的旧俗。猎德女子龙舟队跳出传统桎梏，专攻标准龙舟竞技赛场。早在20世纪60年代，猎德就组建过第一支女子龙舟队。1998年成立广东省第一支村级女子龙舟队，2019年正式命名为“玫瑰龙舟队”。2021年重新凑齐队员，刚练熟，又碰上疫情停训；2022年重新下水，2023年第一次出去比赛，至今大伙结伴划了三年。

“大家都是自发组织集训，每日坚持三小时训练。”队长梁嘉瑶说。相较于常年征战、经验充足的男队，她们要扛更多旁人看不见的累。做饭、照看老小，家务和训练两头拉扯，没人轻易退队。

“每年能有一段时间，和姐妹们一起拼一把，比在家里当主妇开心得多！”梁嘉瑶的一席话，说出很多队员的心声。练场上，她们并肩吃苦、同心竞渡；休憩间隙，她们彼此陪伴，攒下了踏实、亲近的情谊。

文、图 | 新快报记者 郗慧晶
译 | 魏薇
英文审校 | 曾敏