With paddles hitting the pool and water splashing, the boat moves forward inch by inch. When the line on the boat finally crosses the sign set on the bank, thunderous acclamation breaks out to celebrate the victory of the team. This is only a shot of the first dragon boat tug-of-war competition in WHU.

The tug-of-war took place on October 13, in the swimming pool in Faculty of Information Science. During the race, members from different teams are required to sit on the opposite side of the dragon boat, facing each other, and raw in their own direction. When the red line in the middle of the boat meets the sign set on the bank, the game begins. And the final position of the red line decides the outcome.

The competition attracted 15 women’s teams and 19 men’s teams representing each department. After fierce knockout match in the morning, eight groups got tickets to semifinals in the afternoon. Ultimately, School of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Power and Mechanical Engineering scored the first place in women’s and men’s teams respectively.

Dragon boat racing represents a traditional Chinese folk water sport, which has come down the ages for over two thousand years. It serves more than mere sport and entertainment, but also carries spirits of patriotism and collectivism. The dragon boat tug-of-war organized by WHU Dragon Boat Team presents the integration of dragon boat racing and tug-of-war, as well as the inheritance and innovation of excellent history and culture. It also offers a great chance to ordinary students to feel the charm of dragon boat racing and get in touch with its profound tradition.

(Photo by Yang Qian, edited by Li Yushan, Hu Sijia)