The Dragon Boat Festival approaches, filling the air with the fragrance of zongzi, while the rhythmic paddling of dragon boats echoes along the waterways. On May 24th, 15th Shanghai and 3rd Yangtze River Delta Universities Foreign Students Dragon Boat Race with the theme of Love for Dragon Boat Festival · Perceiving China , kicked off at East China University of Science and Technology’s Fengxian campus. A total of 792 international students from 33 universities across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Anhui competed, with thousands of spectators in attendance.
Among the teams, Shanghai Polytechnic University’s dragon boat crew consisted of 19 international students hailing from Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, India, Eritrea, Bangladesh, and other countries. Their academic backgrounds spanned international business, public relations, information management, and more. On race day, the team donned custom-designed cultural T-shirts featuring their university logo, name, and Dragon Boat Festival motifs. As they rowed in unison across the shimmering water, their synchronized strokes sent sprays of water flying. The competitors, with their diverse cultural backgrounds, created a unique blend of traditions, fully committing themselves to the race. Moving to the beat of the drum, they pulled their oars with powerful determination, surging toward the finish line. Though they did not advance to the finals, their performance showed significant improvement over last year.
The students wore broad smiles throughout the event. Rahman from Bangladesh remarked, The true meaning of the competition lies not in victory or defeat, but in the shared chants, the sweat we shed, and the teamwork that dragon boat racing teaches us. Tomris from Kazakhstan added, I truly enjoyed every training session with my teammates. Rowing has become a way for me to relieve stress. This unique experience has already become an unforgettable cultural memory for them.
International students are not just learners of knowledge but also ambassadors of cultural exchange. When they return home with this experience steeped in Eastern wisdom, the echoes of the race and the aroma of zongzi will serve as vivid footnotes in their retelling of China’s stories—this is the essence of Experiencing China. The international students of Shanghai Polytechnic University are carving out their own remarkable path in the long river of cross-cultural exchange, fueled by their youth and passion.
