Feature: Dragon boat racing building friendship across boundaries

NANCHANG, China, June 14 (Xinhua) -- A traditional eye-dotting ritual was held on the shore before the race, with participants daubing cinnabar on the eyes of dragon boat heads in an age-old ceremony symbolizing the awakening of the boats as drumbeats echoed across the water.

The 2026 Nanchang International Dragon Boat Race was held on Jiulong Lake in Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, on Sunday, ahead of China's annual Dragon Boat Festival.

It was the third time that Andreas Willms, leader of the German Drachenreiter Dragon Boat Team, had participated in the race.

Working as a manager at a German-funded company in Shanghai, the 58-year-old first took up dragon boat racing in 2004.

"Everyone on a dragon boat has to pull their oars in perfect unison," Willms said after the race. "This sport relies entirely on teamwork. We compete not just for ourselves, but for the whole team."

A total of 47 teams and nearly 1,200 athletes took part in this year's event. The newly established international club division featured a 12-person, 800-meter straight race and attracted dragon boat enthusiasts from countries and regions including Germany, Italy, the United States and Kazakhstan.

With a history spanning thousands of years, dragon boat racing has evolved into a cultural bridge connecting enthusiasts from China and around the world.

The sport has been practiced in Germany for nearly 40 years. In recent years, German dragon boat events have evolved from pure competitions into festival-like gatherings, serving as an important cultural link between China and Germany.

Willms said that unlike many water sports that emphasize individual strength and rhythm, dragon boat racing highlights collective cohesion.

"Sitting closely together on the boat, we can feel every roll of the hull with each stroke. This unique sense of rhythm forged by joint efforts cannot be found in other water sports," he said.

Lim Che Chien led a team from Malaysia's Kuching. As a child, he had learned to make zongzi, or glutinous rice dumplings, from his mother. During the trip to Nanchang, he and his teammates made and tasted zongzi, picked wormwood and crafted sachets, experiencing a range of Dragon Boat Festival traditions.

"The dragon boat race in Nanchang has become a festival for all of us," Lim said. "We look forward to coming back next year."

Salvatore Landolina, coach of the Italian Stallion team, first took up the sport nine years ago.

"This is exactly the sport I have long been looking for," he said. "On a dragon boat, words are often unnecessary. We act as one, driven by shared goals and the true spirit of sportsmanship."

Emil Shagiev, leader of the U.S. RunDe team, traveled to Nanchang from Guangzhou. His team members are from Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and other cities in China.

"We have businessmen, teachers, engineers and retirees in our team," he said. "But on the racecourse, we are united by pure sportsmanship and friendship."

After the competition, participants from home and abroad embraced and posed for group photos.

"Dragon boat racing brings people together to train and strive side by side," Willms said. "We paddle together, win together. This is the spirit of the sport."